She's Coming Home
by KBlove123
Summary: What will Gale do if he is chosen for the Games alongside Katniss who has volunteered for Prim? How will their love blossom throughout the Games until the end. Who is going to come out alive? There is no rule change... only one comes out alive
1. Chapter 1

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

"Primrose Everdeen." Said Effie Trinket in her high-pitched annoying Capitol voice. The name of Katniss's little sister, only twelve years old and having to be sent to the Hunger Games. Yes, it's the name of Katniss's sister, the girl who I have been in love with for years.

I see Katniss step out of the group of 16 year-old girls towards her.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" she screams. I think my heart stopped when she said that. Now she was going. The only thing that gives me hope is that she may be able to come out alive. She may.

I go over to her and pick up Prim, who is screaming for her sister to not go. I completely agree but I really can't do anything, it's not like I can volunteer for her and I would never put Prim in the Games.

"Up you go, Catnip" I tell her. I set Prim with her mother and head back for my area as Katniss gets on stage.

When Effie asks for a round of applause, everyone lifts up their arm, three fingers extended saying 'I do not like this. I do not condone' it couldn't be more true. I don't want her to go when she might not return. Might.

"Now for the boys." Effie says as she heads over to the boys ball "Gale Hawthorn."

I'm not very shocked but Katniss falls to her knees with her head in her hands and begins to cry. I run up to the stage and wrap my arms around her and pull her up.

"Katniss, Katniss you'll be fine. I promise. It'll be fine. Don't cry you can't cry." I say, stroking her hair

"Well, well, well. Look what we've got here." Says Haymitch, as drunk as ever. He slings an arm over Katniss's shoulder and I feel myself grimace at him. "Looks like we've got a… a interesting couple this year."

"Don't you dare touch her like that." I growl

"Oh really?" he lowers his face directly in front of mine so I can smell the liquor completely "What are you gonna do about it?"

I try to punch him, but two peacekeepers pull me away at the last second and away from Katniss.

"Gale! No!" she screams, thrashing at them trying to get out of the grasp of the peacekeepers holding her "Gale!" her face is filled with tears as she screams my name. I am calling out for her too but the peacekeepers pull us into the justice building and into separate rooms.

The room is filled with velvet chairs and couches. I sit on one of the couches just as my family come rushing in the door.

Posy jumps in my lap and gives me a small yet tight hug. Vick and Rory sit on either side of me and my mother sits in the chair with her head down.

"Come back soon okay Gale." Posy says. She clearly doesn't understand what is happening and I really don't want her to. She is too little to be contaminated by the horror and violence that is The Hunger Games.

"I'll try." I say sheepishly. I have no intention of coming home. Ever since my name was pulled I knew that Katniss would be the one who did. No question. Her family needs her more than mine needs me. I was going to try. I would keep Katniss alive and it WILL be the last thing I do. I don't know if I could come home knowing that I could have saved her. I couldn't live with myself if I had to live without her. She was my life since I was 14. She helped me feed my family by teaching me to use a bow. I taught her how to tie a snare so I helped her too. We were the reason we're alive today. Being sent to die.

All too soon, the peacekeepers tell them it's time to go. I give them all a hug before they leave. They are all crying, aside from Rory who I made promise stay strong for everyone's sake. He needed to go hunt now that I wasn't there. Hopefully Katniss will help him later.

The next people to come in are Katniss's mother and Prim. Prim gives me a shaky hug and I can tell she has been crying. I hug her back as her mother sits in the chair mine was just in and lets out a long, shaky breath.

"Gale," she begins "I want you to protect her. I'm not telling you to just not try to come home, but I want you to try and make sure that, if she goes, that it's not horrible. I don't want her to die, but if she does I want her to die being her… with dignity." I feel tears begin to form behind my eyes but I force them back and reply,

"I promise. I promise I'll try my best to make sure she's the one who comes home." I divulge. They look questionably at me for a moment, and then Prim realizes what I am saying.

"Gale, no!" I know that she loves her sister, but I know that she loves me like a brother as well. "You have to try."

"I know, Prim, and I am going to try but, but I know that Katniss deserves to come home more than I do." Prim starts to cry again and I feel a twinge of guilt because her tears are caused by me. I take her hands in mine and put my lips near her ear "I love her and she will be coming home. I love her." I whisper. It's almost like I'm reassuring myself that I love Katniss.

Prims' eyes are filled with shock but she also looks like she's known all along.

A peacekeeper comes in and tells them their time is up.

"Gale don't let her die! Please, Gale!" she yells after me as she is carried away.

When they are out a peacekeeper tells me that I have no more visitors and to just wait until Katniss is done with hers.

After a few minutes I am led outside and Katniss is already there. I want to run up to her but I know that I won't be able to with all these peacekeepers. Instead I just walk to her and wrap her in a large hug

"I'm so sorry." I tell her quietly so that no one else will hear. I know that she doesn't understand what I really mean by it. That I am sorry that I will do anything to make sure she comes home.

**That's the first chapter! Hope you liked it please review so I know how I'm doing, good or bad.**


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

The train was fascinating. There was food that I had never seen before on little platters scattered everywhere.

"It's amazing you know," said Effie "200 miles an hour and you hardly feel a thing!" she was right though. There weren't many bumps, if any, and the slight noise it made was mind of soothing.

She looked between me and Katniss as if she were expecting us to turn into a wild beast and devour her.

"Well!" she said exuberantly "I'm going to find Haymitch. He's probably in the beer car." She got up from the chair she was sitting in and headed out of a sliding door behind us.

"I'm sorry, Catnip." I repeat looking at the floor

"What are you sorry for anyway? You got reaped. There's nothing you can do about it."

"I guess that I'm sorry Prim was reaped." I lie "And that you had to volunteer." It was the truth, but it wasn't the reason I was sorry. I'm not going to tell her what I'm going to do, she would never let me anyway. Besides, she's probably already thinking of how to save me.

"Gale-" she started, but was cut off by Haymitch stumbling through the door.

"Congratulations." He slurred when he saw us. I scoff.

"For what?" I ask sarcastically. He doesn't answer and instead goes to pour a glass of liquor and sitting in the chair in front of me. "So do you have any advice?" I ask

"Hm? Oh! Advice, yes well…" Effie walks in and sits in a chair across the room from us. "Stay alive!" he laughs hysterically. I look over at Katniss and see her scowling. If I was going to keep her alive, I needed real advice and that wasn't going to come from a drunk.

I stand up and put my hand over the top of his glass and push it down on the table. "Give us some real advice." I growl he tries to pull the glass away but I am too strong for him.

"Give me my glass, boy. That's good advice." His voice is threatening but I'm not scared. I can't be, not when I'm going into the Games.

"Give us good advice." I say again, my voice hard. When he doesn't answer I pull the glass from the table and his grip and throw it across the room where it lands on a wall and breaks into a million glimmering pieces.

He pauses, looking at the now broken glass, before turning back to me. His fist is coming at my face but before it hits, another hand comes in front of my face and grabs his just inches from me. I look over to see that it was Katniss. She had his wrist in her hands and pulled it towards her, gripping it tightly.

"If you touch him be sure that you will be in a cast, no doubts." Katniss hissed. He looked at her skeptically for a moment, then he said,

"Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"

"We hunt." I say quickly

"You two family?" he asks

"What?" asks Katniss

"Well, you're very… protective of each other and you kind of look alike."

"We're best friends." She says

"And we both come from the Seam." I add

"How long have you been friends?"

"5 years" I say quickly.

"Hmm. Well," he claps his hands "I'll see what I can do with you. You look fit and well, we might not need an angle for you." He says clapping his hand on the side of my face. I smack it away.

"What do you mean?" I ask

"Well all the Capitol girls will be fawning over you, you won't need to be anything but charming. And you," he said looking at Katniss "well, we'll have to try and come up with something."

Just then the train went dark.

"Ohh! We're here!" Effie squeals.

Soon enough the light comes back and there are extravagantly colored people all around the train.

"Play nice." Haymitch said before turning to leave. Right before he did, he said "Oh, and never, ever, interfere with my drinking again. I'll stay sober enough to help you."

The doors opened to reveal even more of the crowd cheering for the tributes.

**I'd really like to hear from you please review! I love reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

"Honestly, what else can we do with him?" asks Horo, one of the crazily dressed members of my prep team who were all looking over my naked body, looking for something to 'fix'.

"I think you're right. Let's call in Portia." Says another that I never learned the name of and they hurriedly ran out the door. Finally, some peace and quiet. They never stopped talking about how glorious the Games were and how glorious I was. I know it was meant as a compliment, but I resisted the urge to just tell them to shut up and leave me alone.

After a minute, a woman comes in, dressed almost a wildly as everyone else, if not the same.

"Hello, Gale. I'm Portia, you're stylist." She says

"Hi." She looks over me, examining the work the prep team has done.

"Very nice." She finally says "Well, Cinna and I have planned on complementary outfits for you and your district partner."

"Who's Cinna?"

"Oh! Sorry dear, Cinna is the stylist for the girl tribute. Anyway, I want to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"You aren't scared of fire, are you?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, you know that District 12 is coal miners right?"

"Of course." It was kind of hard not to, considering that I almost had to go to work in the mines.

"And coal burns"

"Right."

"Well Cinna and I had a great idea."

"Oh so this year we're not naked and covered in coal dust?" I ask sarcastically

"Oh god no! that idea is so overused anyway, sweetie. We plan on setting you two on," she uses quotations on her fingers and says "fire"

"What do you mean," I mimic her action "fire?"

"We came up with a synthetic fire that will not burn you, but looks magnificent. We wanted to light up your capes and headdresses right before you go out on the chariots."

"This is crazy!" I mutter quietly, my head buried in my hands. Luckily, she doesn't hear my protests.

Before long, I am in a skin-tight suit that goes from my neck to my ankles. A cape is attached and someone puts something on my head.

They tell me it's time to go and lead me out to the elevator. Katniss and everyone are waiting for us there. When I get in I look right at Katniss and whisper in her ear, "I'm pretty sure if we get killed before the Games the Capitol is in for some serious trouble" she giggles and I realize just how long it had been since the last time I heard her laugh or even smile. "I miss your smile." I whisper to her. This causes another smile from her lips and I don't care who's looking at us in this cramped elevator.

We finally reach the bottom floor and everyone steps out hurriedly. We head towards our chariot which is led by 2 black horses. Cinna brings out a match that has the supposedly synthetic fire lit on it.

"I swear to you it's not real." He says, clearly seeing the doubt in my eyes "You have nothing to worry about."

We step into the chariot and Cinna lights us up.

"Glorious! It works." He says triumphantly. I wait for the pain, but it doesn't come. I look at Katniss and we let out a small, breathy laugh.

Just before we pull out, Cinna instructs us to hold hands. I jump at the chance and immediately pull hers into mine. I feel her tense up for a moment, but then relax. So do I, but for a different reason, they have put her in make-up that seems to be illuminated by the fire, making her look absolutely beautiful.

I don't even notice that since we came out, the crowd has been chanting "District 12" or one of our names until someone from the crowd throws a rose at me and it lands in my lap.

Katniss gives me a reassuring squeeze and looks at me. I smile at her and say, "It's OK, maybe we'll get more sponsors."

"I hope so." She replies

When we finish and get back in the training area, I feel like a tension has been relieved. We are, well Effie, is talking about how great we were. I look around and when my eyes fall on the large District two boy, I see him staring at us, but then I notice that he is staring at Katniss. I put my hand on her shoulder, still looking at him, and tell her that we should go back to our floor.

On the elevator, I feel a little better knowing that the boy isn't staring at her anymore.

Everyone gets off the elevator except me and Cinna. I am about to get off, but he holds my shoulder.

"I want to show you something, Gale." He says, pushing a button. We are taken up again and then the door opens to a beautiful place with flowers all around it.


	4. Chapter 4

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

I knock on her door 3 times. I decide not to try and knock again because she might be sleeping when she opens the door slightly.

"Hey" she said, opening the door wider.

"Follow me." I tell her, turning around and heading the other direction.

"Gale? Gale stop." She says with a twinge of annoyance in her voice

"Hurry up, it'll be worth it." She does and I lead her to the elevator and pressed the same button Cinna did earlier.

"Where are we going?" she asked. I didn't answer.

When the doors opened, I heard her gasp.

"Gale," she began "It's beautiful."

"I knew you'd love it. Cinna, he showed it to me. It's the only place I've seen so far that has plants that aren't captiolfied."

She looks down at a bed of roses, but not just roses, they were-

"Primroses." She said, her delicate fingers hovering over them, examining them.

"Yeah, I thought you'd notice those."

I could see the sparkle of a tear fill her eye and I knelt down next to her.

"It's OK, Catnip. You'll see her soon." I say, picking one and placing it in her hair

"No I won't."

"Yes you are. I promise you are."

"I can't" she stands up and heads for the edge of the roof and leans on the edge.

"Katniss I promise that you will see Prim and your mother soon." I say, going to stand next to her

"I'm not, Gale! You are." She says, looking me dead in the eyes. I understand what she's saying and grab her shoulders tightly

"Katniss no. I won't let you. You need to live, your family needs you."

"Gale your family needs you more!"

"No, Rory knows how to hunt, Prim doesn't and she won't anyway."

"They've got the money from being healers, Gale."

"Mom has the laundry business. You know some people take months to pay back your mom, people pay mine right away. Katniss I need you to live!"

"Gale I can't, I can't live if you've died." Tears are now streaming out of her eyes

"Prim needs you, Katniss, she needs you." I say calmly and gently

"She'll be fine." She countered

"No, she told me to keep you alive," Katniss's head popped up at the news "and I'm going to keep that promise, no matter what."

"Ga-"

"No Katniss, you don't understand it. I can't live without you, I- I love you. I love you more than you will ever know. I'm going to keep you alive in the arena, Katniss. You are going home."

Her mouth was gaping open at what I've just said. I don't even realize what I said to leave her like that. I go over it in my head. Then it hits me_ I love you_. Those were the words she must not have been expecting, but those are the words that kept will keep me going in the last few days of my life.

_I love Katniss Everdeen._

_She is going to live in the arena._

_She is going home._

_She will live a long life._

She is looking me in the eyes, searching them for something. Maybe to see if what I said was a lie, if I don't love her. If she was then she found out it wasn't true because her face fell at the same time that it looked happy.

I move my hands up her neck and onto her cheeks and I leaned my head in closer to her. When our lips touched a felt a surge of heat race through me. This was like none of the other kisses I had shared with the other girls, this was special. This was with the girl I truly loved.

She pulled away and looked me in the eyes again before darting back inside. I didn't run after her. What was the use? She would just run faster then lock the door and refuse to come out for as long as she could, except that training is tomorrow.

**Yeah, I know this was a short chapter but I didn't want to make it to long with training, so that is next. Thank you and please review, even criticism helps if I need it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

When I wake up I notice that it is 7:00. I get a shower and change into the clothes that were laid out for me then head out the dining room. Haymitch and Effie are there talking about something, and Cinna and Portia are on the balcony, also talking.

I grab a plate and fill it with bacon, potatoes, eggs, and a roll. I sit in a chair on the opposite side of Effie and Haymitch but stay close enough to hear what they are saying despite the attempts to hide it by whispering. My ears have grown sharp from hunting.

"What do you mean, Haymitch?"

"I mean that I don't know what I'm gonna do. These two are too complicated and… likeable." He spat out the last word like it was biting his tongue.

"Really? She's likeable?" I want to smack Effie for saying that, but I calm down. I don't want them to know I was listening.

"Fine, I like her."

"How do you like her Haymitch? She's just so, so arrogant!" I resist again, even though it is getting harder each time she says something.

Haymitch balls his hands up in a fist and I know in a normal conversation he would've slammed his hand into the table. "Damnit, Effie. Do you not see those careers win almost every year? Each and every one of them is arrogant! Sometimes arrogance keeps you alive."

"Can't you just pick one and get it over with?"

I can see Haymitch look at me for an instance and lowers his voice and turns from me slightly. "It won't be that easy. Those two are inseparable. They would use whatever I gave them on the other even if they needed it more." He lets out a long breath "Look, I know that both of them have a great chance of winning, but I can't decide who. They have skills and I haven't even seen them in training yet!"

"Then you don't really know if they have skills. You're just inferring."

Katniss walks in and fills a plate up similar to the way I did mine, wearing an identical outfit.

Haymitch and Effie have stopped talking and are just looking down at their plates in silence.

After a few minutes of eating, Katniss breaks the silence. "So, what are we supposed to do down there?"

"Avoid the stations you're good at." Haymitch answers and I can see Katniss's face fall. No archery.

"You could go to snares, you know, get better." I tell her. At least that will remind her of home when I was teaching her. She shifts uncomfortably in her chair when I speak. Is it because of last night? The kiss? It could be but I push the thought aside and focus on Haymitch.

"Yes well, if you're not good, practice. You don't need to try and intimidate the others. Save that for the arena. Learn new skills. Avoid contact with the careers. I guess that's it for today. Have fun." he says the last part so sarcastically, it's dripping

Effie leads us to the elevator and presses the 'training' button. We are whisked downward and within a minute the door opens again revealing a huge room filled with various stations ranging from weapons to how to start a fire. We join the group of people after we have been pinned with the number 12 on our backs.

The instructor told us about the stations and more safety precautions, but I was soon focusing all my attention on the District 2 boy again, who was staring at Katniss, again. God I swear I want to punch him in the jaw.

"And remember," the instructor said "no hand-to-hand combat with other tributes," damn

When she lets us go, me and Katniss decide to head over to the rope-tying station. The man looks very pleased to have students. This must not be a popular place.

"You beginners?" he asks

"Yeah." We say simultaneously. I give Katniss a quick smile and she returns it.

The man hands us a rope and gives us a basic snare to try. I know this snare. It can lift someone up from there ankle and leave them hanging. I use this one most of the time at home. Mainly for Katniss's sake.

I would try and teach her more complex ones but she always failed and whenever I would expertly craft one and it caught an animal, I could always see it in her eyes that she felt a little more useless. No matter how much I tried to reassure her, she always did.

Katniss finishes the snare well, only a few minor things wrong with it, while I made sure mine had a lot of imperfections. When the instructor allows her to move on to the next, more complex snare and makes me try the one again, Katniss shakes her head and laughs a little. I do a little better this time and he lets me move on to the next one which Katniss is about half-way through. I have to actually make an effort not to drop what I'm doing and just fix what she's doing but focus on messing up mine.

We do a few more snares before it's time for lunch. All the tributes eat in a large room filled with tables and carts of food. Most of the tributes sit alone except for the careers who all sit together in one table. I sit with Katniss at a table in the corner or the room.

When we are both seated I take her hand. She flinches, but doesn't pull away.

"You know, Katniss, I meant what I said last night." I tell her truthfully. She stays silent. "Katniss,"

"No. Gale we are going into the Games, OK. Love is probably the worst thing for anyone right now."

"But it isn't 'right now' Katniss. I've loved you for 3 years"

"Then why didn't you say anything?" he voice is growing more angry

"I didn't know how you'd react and I didn't want to be flat out rejected. Especially by my best friend!"

Her voice is calmer now as she says "I told you, Gale, I don't want kids and dating leads to marriage and marriage leads to kids. Sometimes you don't even need the marriage part, Gale and I don't want kids to ever, ever have the possibility of coming _here_!" the last word seemed to linger in the air.

"I know, Catnip." I say after a moment, my voice soft.

Something doesn't feel right, awkward and uncomfortable. I turn around in my seat and see the little girl from 11 staring at me. When I look at her, she turns away quickly, looking down at her food.

"Katniss what's the girl from 11's name?" I ask

"Rue." She said almost instantly, as if she already knew what I was going to ask. I look at her quizzically. She sighs and puts down her fork "She reminds me of Prim. So much. Every time I look at her, I see Prim and, for a moment, I feel happy." My hand finds her shoulder and instead of flinching like I had expected, she relaxes "Because I know that she is safe with all those people at home who love her." She smiles "Safe at home." She mutters almost too quietly. I feel myself smiling to, I know that I like it as much as she does.

We finish our meal in silence and when were done, we head over to the fire station. We master making fires with sticks, leaves and once, with flint. We successfully managed a fire 5 out of 8 times.

When we got done with that, we moved on to edible plants. Katniss already knew a lot, thanks to her book, and I knew what she taught me. But she only told me things when I needed to know them.

"Can you believe the nerve of her though?" I hear Clove ask "Thinking she can take us on! Honestly, how dare she! We are the top. If she thinks that she is some hot stuff then she can walk up to me and-" she doesn't get to finish her sentence, my legs have moved me over to her and I have grabbed her by the collar and pulled her off the ground.

"And what? What are you going to do to her? You don't know _anything_ about her. You don't know what she can do, and you don't know why she's here. So shut your mouth before I smash it in." before I can do anything else, the guards are pulling me off of her.

"You think I'm scared of you?" she asks tauntingly, straightening out her clothes "Just wait 'till we get in the arena! Just wait!" she is then pulled away too.

I was taken back to my floor where Effie was standing shocked as I was thrashing at the guards still as they pull me out of the elevator.

"Wha- what happened?" she asked

"I think he should explain it." One of them says after throwing me on the couch. I scowl at him.

After they leave Effie asks again.

"That bitch Clo-" she interrupts me by coughing "Sorry," I say sarcastically "That mean girl Clove was talking about how Katniss shouldn't have volunteered and she was insulting her. Behind her back though! Can't even be brave enough to face her. Then I went up to her and grabbed her by the collar and told her that she needs to back off. That basically when the guards came."

She rubs her temple like she has a headache. "Well, we've got you're angle for sure." She says, half-enthusiastically.

"Angle?" I ask

"That thing that a tribute uses to get sponsors, well, we've got you twos'."

"What is it?"

"Lovers."

"Lovers?"

"Yes, lovers. You clearly care about her and after that show you put on at the reapings, well," she laughs exuberantly "everyone will believe it."

I remember it clearly, even though at the time it was a blur.

I comforted Katniss when she cried, then I tried to punch Haymitch for touching her. I guess it was more entertaining than I remember. oh wait, it's the Capitol.

I head back to training after another half hour until they let me come back. Clove isn't here yet and I feel a little better. I find Katniss at the rope-tying station again. I walk up to her silently, as usual, but, as usual, she is shocked by my sudden appearance and gasps.

"Oh, you're back."

"What? You're not happy to see me?"

"No, I am, it's just that I didn't want you to know I came back here. I honestly thought you'd be gone the rest of the day."

"Why didn't you want me to know you came back here?"

"I just wanted you to think I was good, not that I'd had a lot of practice."

I pull the rope from her hands and put them in mine. "Katniss Everdeen," she blushes a little "I don't care if you practice here all of the three days. I will love you no matter how well you can tie a snare." Her cheeks burn bright red

"Gale," she whispers "Here? In front of everyone?"

"Yes." I say in a normal voice. I didn't care about the whole 'lovers' angle. I wanted to be with Katniss and I was OK with the world knowing that. I told Prim so I think she would be very shocked if I didn't end up telling Katniss and maybe the world about it. "Katniss, you are my world. You are the reason I'm here today. Without you I might have starved. If I never met you I wouldn't have such a great hunting partner or best friend. I wouldn't have someone to call my one true love." Her blush grows even redder and I lean in and kiss her on the cheek.

"Gale,"

"I know. I now you don't want a boyfriend or kids or-"

"No, Gale," she pauses, looking at me wide-eyed, staring in my eyes "I love you too."

I can feel my entire body shocked. I never thought I'd ever hear those words come out of her mouth, at least not directed at me. Prim of course, but not me.

I haven't noticed all the eyes trained on us until now, when Clove scoffs. Guess she came back. Fantastic.

Katniss looks around the gym and quickly turns back to the rope and begins tying it again with a big smile on her face.

I put my lips near her ear and whisper, "I know some place secretive so we can talk you know, if that's what you want." She nods her head in approval and I smile bigger in return.

It seemed like 5 more hours but in reality, it was only one, before we were let go back to our quarters.

I head to my room and get a shower. I am assaulted by steaming water and a lavender scented foam. When I get out and the machines dry my body, I change into a simple white tee and loose, black pants.

When I reach the dining room, I find that everyone is there, including Katniss. I sit in the chair beside her and begin eating the food previously laid out in front of me. After a minute of everyone eating, Haymitch, of all people, stops "So, Gale, Effie told me about you 'stunt' earlier today."

I cough "Yeah, I just, got mad I guess."

"Well," he says, clapping his hands 'I guess we'll see where it goes from there." I know what he means. He wants to see how the 'lovers' angle will play out. He doesn't have to worry. I already love her and I think I am doing a good job of getting her to love me to. Not for the Games. But for us. What I want us to have.

"I think I'm done for tonight." I say. Before I get up I tap Katniss in the side like a reminder of my offer about the roof. She jumps and covers her mouth with her hand. I forgot how ticklish she was. Oops.

After sitting for another few seconds, she tells them that she is done too. I am just around the corner waiting for her. When she reaches me she playfully hits my arm.

"Gale!" she whispers

"Sorry! I forgot you were ticklish. You know what?"

"What?"

"I think I forgot again."

"No!" she squeals quietly, sliding away from my hands, her arms around her like a shield. It's a very poor shield apparently and I have all ten fingers assaulting her sides in seconds. She stifles fits of laughter the best she can.

I stop after a while and she lets out a breath. I start my fingers for her again as a joke and she flinches, still suppressing laughter.

"Oh come on, Catnip. Laughter is the best medicine."

"No." she giggles quietly

"How about we go to that place where you can laugh all you want." She nods and we head off.

Only after I said that do I realize why it means so much more to me. It's not just a place away from the hustle and bustle of the training center, the roof is like our forest. Where we can say and do what we want with just each other there. It's a haven.

I snap my mind out of the thought because thinking of home depresses me.

We reach the roof and I begin to tickle her again. She wasn't expecting it and she bursts out laughing with no good way of stopping me. she falls to the ground as i continue tickling her.

"Gale!" she breathes "Ple- hehe please stop, Gale!" I stop and let her catch her breath.

I help her up, even though she is skeptical of my hand at first.

We look over the balcony onto the streets of the Capitol.

"I meant what I said" I tell her

"I know." She reassures me "So did I." I feel a warmth rise in my chest. I put my hands at her sides and pull her against me into a kiss. For just a second I'm afraid she might run again, but she doesn't. She doesn't pull away. We are happy.

**Ohhh! I really loved this chapter and I hope you did too! Please tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

"Can we please just not tell her about it?" I ask

I am sitting at the dining room table with Effie, Haymitch, Cinna and Portia. I woke up early today so I could talk to them and not have Katniss interrupt.

"Why?" asked Portia

"Wouldn't it be best if she did?" this time Effie

"No! I got her to fall in love with me without an angle and if she found out that there was one then she would think I was lying this whole time."

"Whoa- wait wait wait. When did you first tell her you loved her?" asked Haymitch

"The night of the chariots. And that's plenty of time to talk to someone to come up with a lover angle."

Haymitch rubbed his chin with his hand "I don't know. Wouldn't it be more believable if she knew she was supposed to be in love?"

"No. you haven't seen her like I have. She's not good a being forced to do something. Not just because she's stubborn, but because she always thinks she will do badly and, well she does."

"Are you sure you can get her to fall for you?" asked Cinna

"I already did." I say with a smile

"Are you sure?" he asked again

"Yes. She told me she did and usually when the subject comes up she is always talking about how she doesn't want kids and when you date you have kids and-"

"Yeah blah blah blah." Haymitch interrupted, shaking his hands for me to stop "So how are we going to get her to seem completely in love?"

"Well, we've got what, two and a half days?"

"Yeah."

"I can do by then."

"Great."

Everyone is staring at me now. I don't know why. Maybe different reasons but it doesn't matter. I now have an excuse for spending tons of time with Katniss.

I eat the rest of my meal slowly and with a smile. Ten minutes after we finished talking, Katniss came in and loaded her plate. We didn't talk about much, just what we should do in training today.

When we finally did go to training, we both agreed to do some more edible plant tests first. You can never be too prepared.

She aces hers and I miss two. It's not that bad for someone who doesn't have a book full of them.

Next we go back to the snares so she can have more practice. Soon enough it's time for lunch and I decide that it would be a good time to work on getting her to like me more.

"Do you really love me Catnip?"

"What? Of course I do, I told you."

"I mean, do you love me, or do you love me because I told you I loved you?"

"I love you, Gale. I- I guess that I was too caught up in my not wanting kids to realize how great you were. I mean I guess that you telling me helped me realize it, but I really do love you." She stops and smiles "You know, with half of my heart." We both laugh

"I know you miss her, Catnip and I really want you to see her again. She really did come see me and tell me to bring you home." My voice has grown more solemn

"I know, Gale. But I want to see you be happy back in District 12."

"I told you Catnip, I can't go back to 12 without you."

"Gale I told you the same thing." We are at a stalemate I know that I would never win this battle. Its Katniss, she never gives up. To my surprise, her hand is on my cheek and she is staring into my eyes.

"Do you love me?" I repeat and she looks at me quizzically but nods her head. I am staring into her beautiful grey eyes thinking of the perfect thing to say. I find it. "Then kiss me."

I am surprised that she actually does but it is just a small kiss and we quickly get back to eating when Clove scoffs.

"Really can you believe those two?" she tries to whisper

"Oh! We're so cool because we make out when we're about to die." The District 1 girl mocks. It's hard for me to stay in my seat with those Careers making fun of Katniss but I just eat and try to tone them out. When that doesn't work I start up another conversation with Katniss.

"So," I ask "What are you gonna do to impress the gamemakers?" she laughs hard and I find myself joining her. We both know that she's going to be shooting arrows.

"Oh, I might throw some knives. Maybe a couple spears." She jokes. She says it kind of loud and I wonder if she's trying to throw some of the careers off, since that is for sure what District 2's going to be doing.

Soon lunch is over and we head over to the knife-throwing station, just in case. I try my best, since I'm not the best at it, and so does Katniss.

"Excuse me." Clove says in a very disapproving manner. Clearly she doesn't want us taking up her station

"Yes?" I ask sarcastically before hitting a dummy right in the heart. She doesn't look impressed, not that I was trying.

"I just wanted_ my_ station back." She responded with a forced smile

"Last time I checked it wasn't you're station." Katniss snapped. I realized that Katniss hadn't been upset since the train ride when Haymitch tried to punch me.

"It isn't yours either."

"Never said it was."

"Then why are you here?"

"Why aren't you somewhere else?"

"I want to practice."

"I think you've had enough for now."

"Why don't you just give me a knife and I'll use it right now." Clove said taking a large step toward Katniss

"Why don't I just use the one in my hand on you right now?" Katniss hissed holding up her armed hand

"Katniss!" I yell and both girls look at me.

Clove putts on a sly grin and says "How about I just cut up your little boyfriend here?"

Katniss steps toward her "Lay a finger on him and you will never live to tell the tale."

"Katniss," I say, laying a hand on her shoulder "let's just get out of here."

"Stay away from him, bitch!" Katniss finished before walking with me "I hate her." She told me

"I know. So do I."

\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/

"That was quite a stunt you pulled today." said Haymitch to Katniss. We were eating dinner and no one was talking until he said that.

"How'd you find out about that?" she asked, looking down at her plate.

"Word gets around."

"It was nothing. I was just mad." Katniss replied still looking at her plate. Effie looked at me and I couldn't figure out why.

"Well!" she said in her high-pitched voice "How about we talk about tomorrow. You will be meeting with the gamemakers to show them your skills."

"Yeah so Katniss what are you the best at?" Haymitch asked

"Archery." She said looking up at him.

"How about you?" he asked pointing his fork at me

"Snares."

"Well that's a good combination. Until you have to kill each other."

"Damn you." I mutter

"What was that?" he asks

"Can you just stop bringing that up? I'm not gonna kill her."

"Oh so you're just going to give her to someone else to kill?"

"No! I'm going to try my best to get her out of there alive"

"Good luck with that." He scoffed, taking a swig of his drink

"I'm done." I say, dropping my napkin on the table.

I storm off to my room and slam the door when I am in. I sit on my bed and bury my head in my heads.

"I'm going to get her out alive. I'm going to get her out alive." I repeat until there is a soft knock on the door.

"Go away!" I yell

"Gale let me in." that voice is Katniss. I get off the bed and open the door. I immediately envelope her in a big hug. I don't know whether it is to comfort me or her, but I think it works for both of us. "I'm so sorry, Gale." She says, her head tight on my chest

"It's not your fault." I tell her

"Gale if I hadn't volunt-"

"If you hadn't volunteered then you might not have a sister coming back to you. Katniss she's not as good at surviving as you. She can't hunt, she can't withstand pain. Sure she can treat it but she was never good when she was in pain."

"If I wasn't here you wouldn't be setting yourself up for suicide!" she half-yelled, pushing me away but keeping her hands on my chest

"Katniss you cannot think that's true! I would be trying just as hard so that Prim could come home to you."

"Gale," she starts to cry and I pull her close again "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Shh. Just try to calm down." I say rubbing her back

"I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose you, Gale."

"I know, Catnip."

She continued to cry until she fell asleep on my bed and soon after, so did I.

When I woke up, she had her head lying on my chest with her hand resting under it, asleep. I slowly moved out from under her and laid a pillow in my place. I got in the shower and was met with icy cold water and sea scented foam. I got changed into a black shirt and jeans. Today was the day with the gamemakers.

I sit at the table and eat.

"Snares, right?" Haymitch asked me I shake my head.

"You do that. Is there anything else?"

"I'm pretty good at shooting, bow and arrows, just like Katniss except she's tons better."

"He is just as good as me." I turn around and Katniss is standing in the doorway

"No way, she's better. She can shoot an animal in the eyes every time."

"He can throw a knife and hit it each time."

"Katniss why are you doing this?" I yell "We both know that I'm not going home!"

"What?" Haymitch yells back "So you're not going to try or something? I thought you were I fighter, boy. I thought you would be the one that had a good chance of winning." My mouth is gaping and I can't find the words to say.

Katniss storms out and a minute later I hear her door slam shut.

"I- I'm gonna try it's just that," I stammer, my voice sheepish "I want her coming home. She deserves that."

"No." he says sternly "If you love her then you wouldn't let her."

"What?" I ask, standing up in shock

"The nightmares, the faces of those you killed, they never go away. They haunt you. Forever." His eyes are shut like he himself is remembering something.

"I can't let her die. Not like that." My voice sheepish still.

"Come, come!" squealed Effie, bursting in the room. When she saw me alone with Katniss nowhere in sight, she asked where she was and I offered to go get her.

I knocked on her door loudly.

"Katniss we've got to go to training. Private Sessions today, remember?" I shout through the door. A few seconds later she is out and about to head to the elevator when I grab her arm. "Why are you so mad about it?" I ask her

"Because, Gale, I can't let you die there, OK? You can't it's horrible and you never know what crazy twisted thing they'll do to you."

"And you think I can just let that happen to you?"

"I don't know." She answers quietly "I don't know anything anymore." She takes a deep, shaky breath "Let's just go." She says and heads off towards the elevator again. This time I follow her.

**Let me know what you think. How the relationship is going, and how the story is going review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

"Rue Haroson." The lady's voice said, beckoning Rue to go to the gamemakers.

"Katniss listen," I started, my voice frantic "I want you to try your best. Remember what Haymitch said, make sure they remember you, OK?"

"Gale calm down, I'll try my best of course, I don't have much of a choice. Even if I want to get you home, I want to live long enough so that I can protect you."

We don't say anything else. We are just looking into each other's eyes until they call my name. I get up and start for the door, but turn back to Katniss at the last second. "And when they call you, uh, just shoot straight." I say with a strained expression. She nods and I go into the large room that looks almost identical to the training area.

The gamemakers are in a balcony-like area that is a few feet above me, laughing and toasting!

"Ahem." I cough "Gale Hawthorn, District twelve." They turn and look at me and I go towards the table with the rope-wire for snares.

As I start tying, I hear some of them talking and others just horse playing. I take it as they don't want to watch me tie rope and let it pass and concentrate.

When I finish I cough again to get their attention. They look at me, then the snare, and then back to each other. What are they doing? They only looked at it at most 2 seconds. I look around the room for something more interesting to do and find a bow and arrows. I grab then and stretch the rope out so I can get used to it.

I set out a test shot and miss the target entirely. Thank goodness they weren't watching. I let another arrow loose and land on the bulls-eye. I turn to face them again.

"I would like to try something else now." I tell them

"Yes Mr. Hawthorn, you may leave now." One of them tells me, waving his hands to shoo me away

How can they tell me to leave when they've barely given me any attention?

I spot a picture of President Snow hanging on a wall behind them and aim the bow. I let it go and it goes whizzing through the air and landing dead in the center of his eyes.

All the gamemakers turned and stared at me in disbelief and shock.

"Thanks." I say flatly, putting the bow gently back in its place and storming off.

I make my way to the elevator and punch the '12' button. It whisks me up and opens the doors effortlessly. Effie and Haymitch are sitting at the table talking at a normal tone whilst Cinna and Portia are nowhere to be found.

I find a seat at the table and just sit, waiting for someone to talk to me.

After about 5 minutes, Katniss comes through the elevator, steaming.

"K-Katniss what happened?" I ask franticly

"I hate those damn gamemakers!" she hissed

"What happened in there?" I ask again

"Assholes," she mutters

"Oh dear, what did they do?" Effie asks, sounding genuinely curious, like she is really worried.

Instead of answering, Katniss turns around violently and stalks to the elevator. The last thing we see of her is her pressing a button full force.

"Wha- where is she going?" Effie asks, flustered at the events. I just smile. I know where she's going, I just want her to have a couple minutes alone to calm down.

A minute later I head off to the roof. I get off the elevator silently and she doesn't notice my presence even when I am three feet behind her.

She brushes a stray piece of hair behind her ear and continues staring out onto the horizon, even when it is blocked off by the many tall buildings. Maybe she has her eyes closed and is just enjoying the wind.

"Catnip?" I start. She jumps at my 'sudden' and silent entrance, as usual, then turns to face me. She is making no effort to appear happy and shows a grimace on her face after she gives me a small, fake smile.

"No." she states bluntly, answering the question that never escaped my lips.

"Please just tell me."

She groans "We can't talk about our _private_ sessions, remember?" she said with an angry smirk

"What's gotten into you, Katniss?" I am practically yelling "Why are you pushing me out? You tell me everything, what changed?" my voice grows soft at the last part, but you can tell I still wanted an answer.

She turns back around in a huff and puts her hands on the back of her neck

"What happened down there? Please tell me." My voice still soft

"Don't lie to me, Gale."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I know you don't love me." She turns back around again and looks me straight in the eyes

"What the hell? Where would you hear that 'cause none of it is true?"

"Don't lie to me!" she yells, throwing her hands in the air

"I'm not lying!" I yell back

"Yes you are. They told me that it was all an angle."

My mind feels so many things right now, despair, anger, and most of all, betrayal. Could Haymitch've told her anyway? I need to know for sure.

"Who's they?" I ask in a calm voice

"The gamemakers. They said that you and everyone were talking about how you shouldn't tell me that it was all an angle. That you didn't want me finding out. What were all those things you told me, huh? Were they part of the angle too? Have you even ever remotely liked me? Who do you take me for? I won't just be taken advantage of because you said you loved me."

"Katniss it wasn't fake, I asked them not to tell you about the angle because I knew that you would think it was. Effie came up with it after I told you OK, she came up with it after I came back here from almost hitting Clove. I-" she cut me off

"So that speech," she had tears in her eyes, I made a move to wipe them but she stepped back "when you came back, was fake?"

"No, that was real. Katniss it was all real, nothing was fake. I really have loved you for three years, back in District 12. The Capitol didn't make me love you and I didn't want the Capitol to make you love me. I wanted to make you love me, for me, for us. I wanted you to fall in love with me because you wanted to, not because you were being forced to for the Games."

"I can't- I-I can't believe you." She ran again. My mind is brought back to when I first told her I loved her, she ran off and now she said she wasn't able to believe what I am saying.

My feet are running to the elevator and my mouth is screaming her name, but I am too late. The elevator closes just as I am about to reach it.

"Katniss." I say, my head and hands against the closed doors for support from my trembling body. "Katniss."

**Hey all, sorry I haven't updated in a bit, now you see why, long chapter. I really like reviews, reviews make me happy so please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Oh my gosh! I'm so so sorry! I haven't been able to write this chapter because I've been loaded with school work. I also wanted to get right into the Games with the next chapter. I tried to explain a lot of things in here and… me no gonna tell! Really hope you like it and please review! **

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

I am sitting at the table and everyone is there. Except Katniss.

"Where's Katniss?" I ask no one in particular.

"She decided she wanted to be trained separately." Haymitch responded

"What?"

"Yeah, today we train you on presentation for the interviews. You will be with me first, then Effie. Four hours each."

"Why does she want to be trained separately?" I already know the answer, but I ask anyway

"I don't know. She just said she wanted to be separate." Effie said

"Anyway, I will talk to you about angles and she will talk to you about looks and presentation abilities. We start after breakfast."

"Why isn't she here now?" I ask

"She wanted to be left alone for now so she had breakfast from the menu." Effie responded

We ate in silence after that. I couldn't believe that Katniss could ask for separate training. I thought we were close.

When everyone finished Haymitch and I went into the living room.

"So were you able to?" he asked

"Yeah,"

"Great."

" 'Till the gamemakers told her about the angle."

"What?"

"The gamemakers somehow found out that we were using the angle and told her about it during training and she doesn't believe that I meant everything anymore."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to give up on the idea entirely? We can just go back to the charming angle I told you on the train."

"Why not? I'm not going to get her to believe me by tonight."

"Do I even have to train you?"

"It's fine. I know how to be charming. I got Katniss remember?"

"Was that really charming, or was it something else?"

"I guess I did it with a bit of history and well, facts."

"Facts?"

"I told her that I had loved her for three years for one."

"When did she tell you she loved you?" he was leaning forward, listening carefully for a reason I'm not sure of.

"After I came back from getting in trouble with Clove, I gave, I guess you could call it a little speech, and I told her that she was great and I might not be alive if it wasn't for her." My lips had unknowingly formed into a smile as I told the story, "I told her that she was the most amazing thing that that has happened to me." I'm looking down, remembering the moment. I cough, snapped back into reality "I mean, basically. And after that she told me."

"You- you gave a speech in training?"

"Yeah?"

"Hmm,"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," I can tell he's lying but I leave it alone, he's not telling me anything for sure. "So, yeah, do charming."

We talk about how to be charming enough for the Capitol until the time is up and Katniss comes in the room for her training. The separate training.

"Catnip!" I haven't seen her all day and have been waiting, even though I didn't think I would see her just yet, just at the interviews.

She ignores me and sits on the couch furthest away from me.

"Gale, I uh, think you should go to Effie now." Haymitch said uncomfortably. I oblige and go to my room where Effie is standing.

"Well it sure took you long enough."

"I wanted to talk to Catni- Katniss." I look at her with accusing eyes "Why did you look at me? When Katniss was talking about her 'encounter' with Clove?" I ask, remembering how she looked at me and I couldn't figure out why.

"It was just that you and her gave the same excuse for doing what you did." She answers, flustered

"What?" I ask, not really understanding what she is saying

"You both said you did it because you got mad. I thought it was strange especially so because you were so knowing of each other. So close."

"So just because we both get mad and do something about it it means that we're connected or something?"

"Well, I, uh," she sighs, knowing it isn't a very good argument "Let's just get on with your training." She sounds defeated but I set it aside and focus.

She has me walk with my head high and my back straight for hours until she says I have perfected it. My back aches but she still has work to do with me. She asks me questions that I try to answer charmingly and with a smile. I constantly slouch since I am so used to being relaxed and not caring about posture. When we finish that the time is up and we head to dinner.

We are the first ones there and I load my plate with potatoes, ham, apple slices, and turkey. I still can't get used to the unusual taste of the Capitols turkey. I'm used to the wild turkey Katniss and I catch. It tastes fresh and good while this tastes processed and fake.

God I wish I was home.

My mind immediately criticizes itself. I want Katniss home. She is the one who should be home. She deserves to be home. Cinna and Portia join the table but without anything to eat. Soon enough Haymitch and Katniss come and fill their plates.

Katniss avoids looking at me and I can feel myself getting agitated. Why can't she just believe me? I was telling the truth after all. I did love her, I have for 3 years, and I want her to be happy at home when this is all done.

I sit and eat, even though her avoiding contact with me is driving me mad. I am about half-way through my meal when I softly touch Katniss's arm "Please," I whisper, just loud enough for her to hear.

She stuffs one last bite down her throat and stalks to her room.

Everyone looks at her direction, then at me, them back at their plates.

Haymitch speaks up again. "So about your training scores?"

"Shit!" I shout. After I calm down a bit, I ask, "How bad was it?"

"Which one?" he asks

"Both I guess."

"7 and 11."

"What?" I ask, stunned

"Yep."

"Wait… which one is mine?"

"Take a guess."

"Probably seven." I sigh

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you got eleven and she got a seven."

"What could she have done to get a seven? She's doesn't deserve it, she's way better."

"Don't know haven't been able to talk to her. I had hoped you were doing that when you went where ever you went."

"Partially. That was when I figured out that they told her about the angle. She didn't tell me anything else."

"We better get you going. Interviews start in an hour and a half. We must get you two ready." Said Portia. I followed behind her to my room. I saw Cinna as he went into Katniss's room. In the little glimpse I got of her before I was whisked away to my own room, she was sitting on the bed and it looked like she had been crying.

\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/

When my prep team finishes with putting just the right amount of make-up over my body, I am put into a black suit and a red and orange tie. I am wearing a blue undershirt.

I guess there still playing with the fire thing.

When we step into the elevator, Effie, Portia and I are the only ones there.

"Where's everyone else" I ask

"Oh there still getting Katniss ready. No need to make you wait right?"

"Sure." I sound very unenthusiastic, good.

We reach the floor the stage is on and Effie instructs me to just wait until they call us out. Her voice sounds very happy, even more than usual. Maybe she got a call from an old friend or something.

In five minutes Katniss walks out in a beautiful dress that does look like she's on fire. It's absolutely breathtaking.

"Katniss what did you do? With the gamemakers?"

"It doesn't matter." She responds coldly

"Yes it does, Katniss, you only got a seven!"

"What?" she turns to me immediately then turns back almost as instantly "It doesn't matter." She repeats

"Katniss tell me."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome the tributes for the 74th annual Hunger Games!" Ceaser Flickerman calls, beckoning us on stage

I walk on and am welcomed by a loud cheering and bright lights. I take my seat and try to adjust to the brightness and the noise busting my eardrums.

Soon District 1 is finished and Clove comes up to stage. Ceaser asks her about how she is prepared and a few pointless other things, until she says something that I find alarming "Well, Ceaser, I do have a couple special tributes I plan to get first."

"Well there you have it! The District 2 female, Clove!"

The boy goes up, then 3 and 4. Soon it is at the huge District 11 male.

He is intimidating throughout his entire interview. I just wanted to grab Katniss and get her out of there.

"Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire!" Ceaser shouts, signaling the beginning of her interview. "Hello Katniss." He says once she sits down.

"Hi" she responds sheepishly

"So, your training score, well um, well I don't think anyone was expecting that to be honest. I mean you seemed so strong, you volunteered for your sister at the reaping for one. Then of course there are the times when you just looked so sure and strong. Tell us, what happened?"

"I- I uh, I guess I just wasn't my best. I was… distracted."

"Well I guess that leads me to my next question, there have been rumors about you and your District partner, Gale, people have been saying that you two are seeing each other, is this true?"

"No, it's not true," her voice has shrunk to a low tone. She looks at me with anger in her eyes before continuing, still looking at me, "It wasn't real. It was never real."

"Katniss, you are my world." A voice suddenly booms throughout the stage. Then I realize, the voice is mine. They are showing a video on every screen around. "You are the reason I'm here today. Without you I might have starved. If I never met you I wouldn't have such a great hunting partner or best friend." I look to Katniss to see her blushing and getting angry. She knows what's coming next. "I wouldn't have someone to call my one true love."

"Gale," her voice says over the speakers, still from the video even though for an instant I thought it was her real voice.

"I know. I know you don't want a boyfriend or kids or-"

"No, Gale," there is a pause while the camera show her staring into my eyes "I love you too."

"Awww!" the audience coos

"Well well well," Ceaser says, turning back to Katniss, who has a shocked look on her face, her red face. "I think that told us differently."

"I-I" the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of her turn and she rushes off back to her seat.

"Ok then. Next, Gale Hawthorn!"

I walk up and take a seat

"I think we should just start where we left off." He turns to the audience for approval and they cheer and hoot. Ceaser laughs and turns back to me "So, was that when you first told her you loved her?"

"No." I say instantly "I first told her on-" I stop myself, I don't want to give up our secret haven "On the night of the chariot ride." I finish. It's the truth still, just not where I told her.

"Was that the first time she said she loved you?"

"Yes." It receives another "aww" from the audience

"Do you really love her?"

"Absolutely. With all my heart. Like I said then, I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for her."

"Yes, why is that exactly? It sounds like an exaggeration."

"Not at all. Five years ago both of our fathers died in a mining explosion. Her mother- she wasn't able to help, and mine was about to give birth. Our younger siblings couldn't help support the family since they were too young, so me and Katniss ended having to- fend for ourselves." I can't say something that would be bad against the capitol. Saying that I sneak out is against the law and I would be sure to die in the Games. "She taught me new ways of getting things like berries and other plants and I taught her how to do some things to. I know that I would've starved if it weren't for Katniss's help."

"That's a very touching story. I'm sorry I think we should move on. What about your training score. An eleven, it's very impressive, even beat all the careers."

I smile at the thought "Yeah. I just used my abilities the best I could. I even used one of the skills Katniss taught me."

"Well you did very well." The buzzer rang and I stepped out of the chair and went back to the seat.

We stood for the anthem them went backstage once more.

I am almost to the elevator when Katniss comes up behind me. She cups her hands around my cheeks and pulls me into a forceful kiss. She pulls back before long and puts her hands on my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Gale. You can't lie well and you can't fake that, what you did up there, I should've recognized that and not hurt you." I hear another "aww" from the audience and look all around me.

I find a cameraman behind me filming us and broadcasting it. I hold my hand up to the camera lens and push him away and go back to Katniss.

"Not here." I tell her. She knows what I mean and we go to the elevator. Many other tributes are in there as well.

The elevator stops at each floor and lets of one or two people until finally we are the only two left.

"Do you want to go up?" I ask her

"No."

"What? Why?"

"Gale, I believe you but, but we're still going in the Games. One of us is going to have to die," the doors opened revealing the prep teams, the stylists, Haymitch and Effie all sitting in the living room watching the TV.

"Nice timing you too, you're just about to come on." Haymitch said, obviously making fun of us.

I turn my head and see that they are playing the interviews. Katniss is currently sitting in the chair and Ceaser is asking her about the 'rumors'.

We watch as the camera turns to a screen showing the video.

"Who did it?" Katniss asks. It is only now that I look at her that I realize she is fuming.

"I did." Haymitch said comfortably

"Why?" she yelled

"Because it did you a favor, sweetheart. Now people will want to help the star-crossed- lovers as much as they can."

"I was trying to hide it, Haymitch. I didn't want people to know!"

"Why?" I ask and her head flies around to face me

"Because it's hard, Ok. It's hard knowing that I will lose you one way or another. Telling myself that I didn't love you anymore, I felt like it sort of helped. When that video came up I knew that there was no hiding it. I saw that you meant what you said, I- I knew that I was falling for you again." Her voice had grown softer as she spoke until it sounded unlike her in almost every way, soft and loving. I had heard the voice before, but barely.

No one spoke for a few minutes. After that I went to my room for the last time.

I tried to fall asleep but ended up pacing my room thinking about tomorrow, thinking about how I was going to get out of the Cornucopia but still getting something.

I continue to pace around when there is a soft knock on the door. I look at the clock and see that it's 11 o'clock. I didn't realize it's been that long.

I go to the door and quietly open it to see Katniss's worried face.

"Catnip what's wrong?" then I feel stupid because I know what's wrong. Same thing as me "Never mind." I tell her.

"Can I come in?" her voice is hoarse

"Of course." I say, pulling open the door so she can get in. She does and then just stands by the bed with her arms folded over her chest. "Do you wanna talk?" she shakes her head 'no' but then reverts to a 'yes'.

I sit on my bed and pull on her arms to try and get her to join me and she does.

"What happened with the gamemakers?" I ask her again

""I went for the arrows," I am surprised. I wanted her to tell me but I didn't know if she really would "And they were giving me all their attention." Her eyes are closed tight and I rub circles on her back with my hand, a way I know soothes her. "When I shot the arrow it missed the target by a lot and they started laughing at me." She lets out a broken breath "They started joking to each other about how I couldn't shoot. Th-then one of them shouted to me, they said that there was no way that you could ever really love me. That now they knew that it was an angle for sure. I was confused but, but then they said that they had proof that you said the love was all an angle. I was mad and I took another bow and hit a dummy right in the heart. I guess that's why I got a seven instead of a two or something."

"Katniss,"

"No it's, it's fine Gale,"

"Katniss I want you to know that nothing they said was true."

"You told me Gale."

I move on the floor and kneel in front of her, taking her hands in mine. "I know but I want you to know that the conversation they have proof of is me asking Haymitch and everyone to not tell you Effie had come up with an angle, that I wanted you to know that anything I said was true. God, I swear that it was all true, Katniss. The speech, the night in the woo- uh, the roof,"

"What?"

"N-nothing."

"Were you going to say the woods?"

"I just uh, I,"

Before I could say anything else, her lips were against mine. She pulled away and leaned her forehead against mine. "They're right. We do have a lot in common." She said with a smile playing on her lips

"You did too?" I ask her, already knowing the answer

"Mmhmm." She shook her head

We sit in silence for a few more minutes before I speak up again. "Catnip, why did you come this late?"

"I, couldn't sleep." I look into her eyes and I can tell she's lying.

"Were you thinking about it? Tomorrow?"

She wearily shook her head yes and bit her lip. "It was a nightmare. We were running away from the cornucopia when suddenly a wild pack of dogs appeared. They all turned into tributes and they took you away. They took you away by biting into your clothes and dragging you! I ran after you but when I found you they had torn you up to shreds. I just kept screaming and screaming until I finally woke up. Then I thought you could make me feel a little better. Plus, even though I, kind of, knew it was a dream, I had to see you again."

"You can sleep in here if you like."

She nods her head and I move to the other side of the bed so she can lie down. I pull the warm covers up and wrap my arms around her body. It seems like she relaxes at my touch and she falls asleep quickly. Before I let myself get drawn into the abyss of sleep, I kiss her forehead and whisper "I love you." Into her ear.


	9. Chapter 9

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

"It's going to be a bi- oh! Oh my well, get ready you two." Effie said, coming through the door. My arm is still around Katniss but I get up.

"I'll talk to you later." She tells me and she heads out the door.

I get a shower and then get dressed in blue jeans and a white tee-shirt. It doesn't matter what I put on since I will be changed into different clothes later.

I am lead to the roof and am told to wait for the hovercraft.

When Katniss comes out we rush to each other and envelope each other in a tight hug.

"If you can't find me," I whisper in her ear "I want you to head for the trees and stay hidden,"

"Gale what if there are no trees?" she asks me with worry in her voice

"There's almost always trees, Catnip. I want you to hide in a tree but, but I want you to make a little cut in the one you do, so I'll know you're there. Stay there unless you have to move,"

"What if I don't make it out of the bloodbath?"

"Just, just get out of there as soon as possible."

"What if there's a bow?"

"I'll get you a bow."

"What? No! You can't sacrifice yourself."

"I won't. I'll get out of there too. I'll find you then we stick together, OK?"

She merely shakes her head and bites her lip.

The hovercraft appears and I place a kiss on her forehead and grab onto the ladder, which freezes me in place. A woman shoots something into my arm, then tells me it is my tracker.

The ride is peaceful, since no one talks. Luckily I don't have any careers on here. I don't have Katniss either. She is on another hovercraft being flown to the arena.

The windows go dark signaling that we are nearing the arena.

\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/

"Here you go." Said Portia. She was giving me my arena clothes so I went into the small bathroom and changed. When I came out Portia was sitting on a counter with her legs crossed. "Well I guess this is it. It's been great being your stylist, Gale."

"Thanks." I say with a fake smile

"20 seconds" a mechanical voice says. I feel a shiver run through me at the reminder.

Portia runs her hand through my hair then pats me on the cheek. "You'll do great."

"Thanks." I repeat

"10 seconds." The voice says

"Go on." She points her long finger to a tube that is sure to take me there. I don't want to go and I feel myself pause for a moment, but I have to go. I need to go for Katniss, to protect her.

I walk into the tube and it closes behind me and begins to lift me up.

The light is blinding for a moment as I am raised above the ground to see a beautiful forest that is clearly dense. It will provide great protection. I turn around and see a land with very tall grasses that are as thick as the woods. Who knows what lies beyond there. I look at the cornucopia and see tons of weapons and bags. There are knives, which could be very useful, and I see a bow. It's in plain sight, ready for me to take it.

I look at Katniss as a way of telling her to head for the woods, let me handle the bow.

10, 9, 8

Damn I didn't think it'd been that long. I have to be quick, get it and go.

6, 5, 4, 3

I position myself to run and the gong goes off.

I sprint towards the bow and knives. When I try to grab a knife, the District 9 boy comes up in front of me and we start to fight over the knives. I push the blade into him and he falls to the ground. I quickly run to the bow and picking it up, having to push many people out of my way in the process.

I am about to run to the forest when I hear Katniss screaming my name. I see her about a hundred feet away on the edge of the woods. Clove is on top of her with a knife to her neck.

"Katniss!" I scream franticly as I jump on Clove and we roll off Katniss on onto the ground beside her. I am on top so I have the advantage. I take one of my knifes and plunge it into her chest. "Never hurt Katniss!" I say viciously. I take her knives and take Katnisss' hand in my bloody one. We run to the woods as fast as we can without stopping.

The girl from 5 comes up right in front of us and freezes in her tracks, so do Katniss and I. we just stare at each other, the girl and me, then I take Katniss again and run. We push through the trees so that the girl couldn't follow us if she tried.

We continue running for 10 minutes but stop because we can't breathe.

I decide we should look at what we have. Katniss managed to grab a back pack while I was fighting Clove so I open that. Inside is a canteen that is half filled with water. I take a quick sip then give it to Katniss. There is a rope that is very strong, a small bottle of something that I don't know, a sleeping bag that looks like it can fit both of us, and another canteen but this one is empty.

"We're going to have to find water soon. That won't last us." I point to the bottle to show what I'm talking about. "What's this anyway?" I ask, pushing the bottle towards her. She smells it and pours a little drop on her hand. A look of relief comes across her face.

"Iodine." She says with a smile

"What?" I have no idea what it is

"It purifies water. You put some of it in and then wait half an hour."

I smile too. The gamemakers probably would make the water toxic so this could keep us alive.

I notice that the sky is getting dark, whether that means it's late or the gamemakers are messing with us I don't know.

"I think we should find a tree to sleep in." I offer

"Yeah. I'll go that way," she pointed to the left "And you go that way," she pointed right "If we find one then we look for the other."

"I don't think we should split up, Catnip." A look of pain comes across her face but she quickly forces it away. She never did like to show her emotions.

"Fine, let's both go right." I smile, glad that she didn't fight about it, and get up. I hold my hand out to Katniss to help her up, and she takes it. We both begin our journey looking at the trees, how tall they are and how sturdy they are.

"We need to find one that has a branch that can hold both of our weights and still be high up." I tell her. She shakes her head and continues to look.

"Gale how about that one?" she points to a large oak tree. It has large branches almost completely the entire way, and looks like it could hold us.

"Great." I tell her

I start to climb up with the backpack and she follows close behind. When I get to a branch about 50 feet from the ground I pull out the sleeping bag and spread it out. I put the back pack on a branch close to us and Katniss hands me the bow and knives she carried up with her and I put them there to. I grabbed the rope so I could tie us to the tree to avoid falling out in the night.

When I turn around Katniss has squirmed her way in the bag. I follow suit and tie the rope around us and the tree.

"I'm glad we made it out." Katniss tells me, looking me in the eyes

"I am too." I kiss her on the forehead and relax in a more comfortable position and she does the same.

The Capitol seal flashes in the sky, startling us, and it shows the death of the tributes.

Clove, the boy from District 4, the boy from 5, both from 6, the girl from 7, the girl from 8, and both from 10.

"9 people." I say

"Yeah." She says softly then whispers "Clove." I ignore it and let her think that I didn't hear.

"Let's go to sleep." She doesn't do anything and I can tell she's trying so I do too.

When I wake, Katniss is still sleeping so I try not to move. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. She isn't worried about anything that's happening right now. Maybe she's dreaming of being home, with Prim and her mother.

She begins to stir then sits up.

"Mornin'" I tell her

"Morning." She says, stretching her arms out.

"So what are we going to do today?" I ask. Almost on cue, Katniss' stomach rumbles "OK then." I laugh dryly.

We climb down the tree after packing up all our things and grabbing the weapons.

I take count of my knives and see that I have 5. I got 2 when I grabbed them at the cornucopia and 3 from Clove. Katniss has twelve arrows.

We continue looking for half an hour before Katniss turns to me. "What if there aren't any animals, Gale?" her voice is worried and frantic

"There has to be, Kat-"

"What if all the food was in the cornucopia? What if only the careers have it? We won't be able to find anything and I doubt we could take on all of them."

"Katniss there has to be food. They wouldn't just make us starve. They already did that and it wasn't an entertaining year for the Capitol."

A tweeting sound pierces the air. "See, I told you, they won't just make us starve."

"Which way did it come from?" her bow is now loaded and aimed at nothing

"I- I don't know." She lowers her bow and curses under her breath. "It's not like it's the one bird, there'll be more."

"Let's just look for water." She says

We walk around not speaking until we come across a small pond. We fill both canteens and drop some of the iodine in them. When we turn around there is a large turkey-like animal standing there. Katniss slowly lifts her bow and aims it. The next moment the animal has an arrow in its eye and falls to the ground.

"I don't care about the seven, you've still got it." I tell her. She smiles and dips her head

"Because I know what you said is true."

My hands find her waist, "I even think you hit exactly in the center of the eye." Her head lifts up to plant a quick kiss on my lips. "I told you there'd be more food." She just smiles and we drag the thing to a place near our tree. We agreed that if someone finds us there, we can't let them know we sleep in that tree.

Katniss starts a fire as I skin the turkey. The fire is up within minutes even though I am only halfway done with skinning.

"Do you want some help with that?" she asks me

"No I've got it. You can just sit there and look pretty for me." She blushes and I smile.

When I finish we put it over the fire and allow it to cook.

"It's been really quiet lately." I observe after a few minutes of just watching the thing cook

"Maybe the gamemakers are just happy with seeing us together."

"I don't think they'll leave us alone for much longer if that's true."

She nods her head.

I hear a twig snap and both Katniss and I turn our heads to the source, who is hidden.

"Who is it?" she snaps, grabbing her bow and loading it. No one comes out, leaving my nerves on edge. I am frozen to my spot, waiting for them to come out.

"Please don't shoot!" a tiny voice says from behind a tree. Katniss lowers her bow almost instantaneously.

"Come out." Katniss says.

A tiny figure immerges and I see Rue. The one that reminds Katniss of Prim. "Please don't shoot." She repeats.

"I won't." Katniss says sympathetically. I notice that she has a large cut on her leg and it is horribly bandaged with leaves.

Katniss looks at me with pleading eyes. I can tell that she wants to make an alliance with her. I can't help but be skeptical. How'd she even find us? I decide that I need to get the questions answered.

"How'd you find us?" I ask sternly

"I didn't mean to, I was trying to look for plants and when I saw you two I got scared and ran behind this tree." Rue answers.

I look at Katniss who has taken the animal away from the fire. She sighs and stands up, beckoning me to follow her. "Stay here and don't touch anything. I'll know if you do." She tells Rue.

We walk a good distance away so we can still see her but she can't hear us. "I want to make an alliance with her, Gale. It's not like she wouldn't be helpful, she got the same score as me in training."

"What if that was the best she can do?"

"She's twelve, Gale!" she practically shouts in her whisper "What do you expect? Her to get an eleven?"

"No but how do we even know she'll be useful?"

"She can climb really well. Did you see her in training? She was always climbing something."

"No. but how can that help us?"

"She can see if people are coming. She can get food if it's high up."

"So can you!"

"She's smaller, so she can climb higher."

"How do you know she won't kill us while we're sleeping?"

Her mouth is hanging open as she can't come up with answer. "She wouldn't." she finally says

"You don't know."

"Please, Gale." She looks at me with eyes so large it's hard to say no to anything they say. I can see that she really wants to have Rue, even if it's just as a reminder of Prim.

I can feel myself being pulled into her gaze, falling into a trap she most likely didn't even mean to set.

"Fine," I give in "but how are we going to fix her leg?"

"I picked up some plastic at the cornucopia." She has a slight sense of happiness in her voice and I feel a little better knowing that she'll be a little happier throughout this.

"Fine." I repeat.

We head back to the fire and see that Rue has complied with not touching anything, even the food, and is simply sitting on the ground looking at her leg. I stay back but Katniss goes to sit next to her. I begin to cut up the turkey into smaller pieces. When I finish, Katniss sits by my side and tells me that Rue is fine with keeping watch on most nights. I agree and hand her a leg of meat. She grabs another and hands it to Rue, who sits on the ground across from us. She keeps her head down the entire time, only looking at the meat in front of her.

"Is she shy or something?" I whisper to Katniss

"She knows that you didn't want to be allies."

"Did you tell her?"

"No, she could tell. Honestly anyone could tell." She lets out a single laugh and continues eating.

I feel hungry after I finish but I let it go considering it's probably just since I've gorged myself in the Capitols' hearty foods.

"Gale it's getting late, we should set up for the night." Katniss tells me

"Alright." I grab the meat and put it in the backpack then climb the tree. I set up the sleeping bag thinking of so many things; will Rue kill us tonight, will she run off and leave Katniss(even though I wouldn't mind her running off) will she just fall asleep and leave us to defend on a moments notice if Careers show up,

"She's sleeping in that tree over there." Katniss points to a tree across from us that's a good distance away. I nod my head and motion for her to get in the sleeping bag.

\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/

I can't sleep.

I can't sleep knowing that there is a danger. Rue was my awakening of that. She reminded me that there are more people out there I need to be worried about.

I've been watching Katniss next to me. I think she's having a nightmare because she has been jerking around the bag all night. I don't wake her up because I know if I do she might not go to sleep again.

I look at the tree Rue is in and see her wide, alert eyes. She probably can't sleep because of the Careers.

I push some of the hair away from Katniss' face that has accumulated because of the tossing and turning and gently kiss her cheek. Her body relaxes and I wonder if I accidently woke her up.

"Katniss?" I say softly. She doesn't answer and I figure she is still sleeping. I wrap my arms around her torso and lay my head in her neck. I don't want to fall asleep but being here feels so right. I am comfortable and almost fall asleep, but I make myself stay awake. I don't fully trust Rue. I kiss her cheek again and find that I am drifting to sleep.

_Crack!_


	10. Chapter 10

**I feel so happy! I finished this chapter pretty quick and I think it turned out pretty good. Once I started writing I couldn't stop! This chapter got so interesting for me! I really hope you love it as much as I did! Please review!**

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

I feel like the wind is being blown out of me. I am falling to the ground from our spot 50 feet in the tree. I start to scramble even though it helps none while I am in the air. Time seems to be moving in slow motion, but I don't see my life flash before my eyes like the people from the mines told me they had when they were in a near-death situation. Maybe that's a good sign.

I hit the ground hard and grunt. I hear someone screaming not far from me. I look up just in time to see a dark blob come down on me. It hits and I let out another pained grunt and my eyes are squeezed as shut as I can get them. I keep them shut as a precaution, as if keeping them shut will prevent anything else from falling on me.

"Katniss! Gale!" a shrill voice cuts through the air. I just barely manage to recognize the voice as Rues'. "Katniss, Gale!" the voice says again, closer now. It sounds like she is running very fast by the loudness of her voice.

I feel a weight lifted off me and I assume it was Katniss that landed on me.

"Katniss are you OK?" I listen as Rue talks through strained ears. Everything on me hurts and I feel like I won't manage the pain.

A loud gasp echoes the air and I assume it was Katniss taking in a breath, or maybe letting one out.

"Katniss are you OK?" she repeats

"I'm fine," she coughs "Wha- Gale!" soon I feel a pair of hands on my chest and I groan at the pain. "Gale!" she sounds very relieved that I'm at least not dead "Gale please open your eyes." She pleads. I try my best, but the pain is too much to even do that, and only manage to open them half-way. She lets out a relieved laugh "You're gonna be OK, Gale."

"Let's get him someplace softer." Rue offers

I struggle with speaking but manage to say "No," before they do.

"Why?" Katniss asks, frantic again

"The pain. I'll be fine just don't move me." My body aches in pain but I try to keep my face plain the best I can so Katniss doesn't worry.

"Then I'll stay here with you." Katniss says, her hands brushing the hair on the top of my head.

"You need to be in a tree, Katniss, it's the safest way." Speaking is getting easier, even though it still hurts a bit.

"I won't leave you down here with no way to protect yourself."

"I'll be fine."

"Not the way you are Gale, you can't move, there's no way you could put up a fight."

"What about you? You fell too."

"I'm fine. I fell on you remember?" her face cringes "That's another reason I'm staying. I feel guilty, you wouldn't be this bad if it weren't for me."

"I still fell on the ground on my back, Catnip." I manage a small smile but it turns into a grimace.

"And I'm still staying."

"Here," Rue comes up to us with two pieces of the meat and a canteen. Her lips turn up on one side like she is sorry for what happened and will do anything to help. The half-smile disappears as quickly as it happened and she sits at my feet. "So what are we going to do? Just leave you?"

I have managed to open my eyes completely now. "Yeah," Katniss speaks up "I'm going to stay with him tonight."

"Are you sure?" Rue has the same doubts as I do of staying on the floor.

"I'm going to stay up all night to keep watch. You can sleep too." She tells Rue. "You too Gale, especially you."

"What?" I ask

"Gale I know you didn't sleep at all last night. I'm not an idiot." Katniss says accusingly

"What do you mean?" I ask, still skeptical

She took a deep breath. "Whenever I woke up from my nightmares I could feel your hands going up and down my arm," I remember vaguely doing that, but barely. Maybe the fall made me forget it partially. "You can't do that in your sleep plus, I heard you talking to me."

My eyes go wide in shock. How could she wake up and I not know it?

"And by the way," she continues "I love you to."

I smile softly, still feeling the pain the pairs with movement.

We all sit in silence for a few minutes and I close my eyes. All I am aware of is Katniss' hand roaming through my hair, in fact, I almost forget about Rues' presence until Katniss speaks and I open my eyes.

"I'm going to hunt. Rue can you please watch him?" Rue nods. I am getting slightly less afraid of her as time goes by, by I remain wary. I could never let my guard down. Not here. Not ever.

Katniss starts to stand. I move my hand to her ankle, seeing as that is the closest thing I can. I inwardly wince at the pain. "Wait," I start "What if something happens to you? How will I know you're safe?"

Rue speaks up immediately "We have a song. In District eleven. We use it to signal the end of shifts and mockingjays carry it throughout almost the entire district."

"How will that help? What if she's too far away?" I ask

"You haven't noticed?" Rue questions

"What?" Katniss asks quizzically

"There are mockingjays all over the place!"

"Maybe that was the bird we heard." I say

"What's the tune?" Katniss asks Rue

Rue complies and whistles a 4-note song. It's really beautiful but it takes a majestic sound when one mockingjay sings, then another, and another, until they are all in harmony singing different parts all at once.

I see Katniss smiling and I know she must be thinking the same thing.

"You try." Rue says to Katniss. She whistles the tune and the mockingjays take up hers. "I'll do it for him since it would be likely to hard."

"Thank you." I whisper.

Katniss starts to leave but I stop her yet again with my hand against her ankle. "Wait, Katniss," she looks at me questionably and I continue "just in case." She understands what I am saying and bends down. She brings her lips to mine slowly. She is probably too scared of hurting me. Honestly I'm glad she did because even the soft touch sends small jolts of pain through my body. She must have sensed it because she backs away quickly, but not leaving yet.

"I love you." She says softly in my ear

"I love you to." I say.

She begins to get up again and this time I don't stop her. "I'll do it every couple minutes, you do the same." She says to Rue in a normal voice. And with that she leaves. I watch her go and when she is out of my sight I feel like a hole has been ripped in my stomach.

Rue is still at my feet examining her leg that Katniss has wrapped with plastic around the leaves. "So why haven't you killed us yet?" I ask

"I couldn't." she responds after a moment of silence

"Why?" I know that it sounds cruel even though I didn't mean for it to be

"She reminds me to much of-" she stops

"Who?"

"No one." She says, shaking her head violently

"Who?" I repeat

She sighs loudly "My sister. She's 19 so she couldn't volunteer for me, even though she probably wouldn't anyway. She loves me, but not as much as Katniss loves her sister."

"She told you about it?"

"Vaguely, but she didn't have to tell me much, I could see it in the reapings. Just the way she volunteered for her alone, it's selfless, like nothing matters except her safety."

"It is."

For the first time she looks up at me and I can see the hurt and worry in her eyes. "How well do you know her?"

"We're best friends. We have been for five years. We-we tell each other everything. Like I said in the interviews, she saved my life and I saved hers. But she cares about her sister so much. That's one of the reasons I love her, her selflessness. She didn't care about what happened to her, all she wanted was Prim safe, away from here. She would never have anything bad happen to her,"

I look up from where I was staring at the ground and see that Rue's eyes are filled with compassion and knowing. I'm sure that her sister would've volunteered for her if she could.

"I'm sorry," I say "about you and your sister. I'm sure she would've done the same as Katniss if she could."

She doesn't say anything and instead just stares at me. "So why haven't you killed me yet?" I ask, trying to break the awkward silence that has grown between us.

"I honestly don't know. Why haven't _you_ killed_ me_?"

"I couldn't do that to Katniss."

"Why would it affect her?"

"You remind her of her sister, the one the volunteered for."

"Oh. So that's why she is so nice to me."

"Yeah."

Katniss' song bursts through the air to remind us she's safe and Rue lets out hers.

"You really love her, don't you?" I realize she's staring at me again. I look at her strangely even though I don't know why. She sees this and continues with her explanation "Every time she comes up in a conversation or you get a reminder of her, your face just… just lights up. Like it did just now, when you heard the whistle, it seemed like a switch inside you just switched on to happy."

"You have no idea."

"Why do you love her?" she doesn't ask in a way that implies that it would be a crazy thing to love a girl like her, like most other people say. But they only say it because they don't know her like I do. No one knows her like I do except for Prim. No one knows the wonderful person hiding behind the mask she wears most of the time. The mask only disappears when she's in the woods really.

"I guess because I got to know her, I got to know her like no one else does." Why am I telling her this? She's practically a stranger and she's going to die soon. Maybe that's why though. If it's because she's about to die and it won't matter if she knew my secrets. "I got know her loving side," I continue. I laugh slightly as I think of the next thing I'm going to say, "I didn't even realize I loved her until I got jealous of someone hitting on her." Rue laughs a little too, "But I didn't know how she would react to me telling her, so I kept it a secret."

"Until now." She says

"Yeah, it kind of just, came out." She hives me look and I can tell she's confused "We were talking about the Games and how we wanted to get each other home so badly," I can see Rue tense up, even though she might know she won't make it, this still probably makes her think that we will do anything to get the other home alive. "it kind of just slipped out."

"That you loved her?"

"Yeah."

"Then what was with the interviews? When she was talking about how you weren't in love and nothing was real? What was that anyway, I mean, it seemed out of place even if she wasn't in love with you."

The whistle came again and Rue did the same.

"There had been a, a problem."

"What?"

"Our escort had told me that we should act like lovers. I didn't care, I mean, I loved her anyway, but then she found out that there was an angle and she thought everything I said was a lie. I couldn't convince her it wasn't so at the interviews she still thought what I said wasn't real."

"I couldn't tell if it was staged or not."

"What?"

"Well, the video came up right after that."

"Our mentor did that. I had no idea and neither did she. Hell, she was pissed when we got back to our floor."

"Didn't seem like that backstage." She said with a smirk

"You saw?"

"Everyone saw."

I roll my eyes "She told me she was sorry and she realized that I was telling the truth."

We sat in silence, not really needing to say anything.

"Well, well, well," I jerked my head around to see the menacing Cato swinging his sword around playfully "I hear it's not safe to just sit on the ground talking all day long."

I looked at Rue for a split second and could see that she was frozen to the spot with her eyes wide.

Cato made a step towards us and I scrambled to me feet, even though my body was writhing in pain. "Rue run!" I screamed, even though she was next to me. She did but we ended up going in opposite directions. It could be a good thing, if I wasn't worried that he would catch up to one of us and easily get the other.

To my slight advantage, he went after Rue, even though I feel like Katniss won't forgive me for not protecting her.

I kept running anyway. If I lose him I might be safe.

After running for ten minutes, I have to stop. The pain has become too much. I sit and lean against a tree and force myself to keep my eyes open in case someone starts to come for me. I've heard Katniss' whistle a few times while I was running so I'm sure she's safe.

_Boom!_

Rue! Cato must have got her. I scramble to my feet and begin walking. I don't trust myself to continue to run for fear of having to stop. I hear the whistle again and know that it must be Katniss. They had a slightly different tune, Katniss' ended in a lower note and so did the whistle. She's OK!

"Come on Lover Boy! Fight like a man!"

I turn around and see Cato again, running towards me. I try to run but it ends up being a fast walk because of my pain. He quickly makes it closer to me even though I'm constantly trying to be faster. I run behind a tree and just miss getting hit by his sword. I run in the opposite direction from Cato as he tries to hit me again.

The boy from District 1 comes out from behind a tree just in front of me so I turn left, but the girl from 1 stands before me too. I am blocked to the left by the girl from 4 and get completely surrounded when Cato closes the circle of people around me. I begin to turn around in a circle, looking at my surroundings. The world gets dizzy and I'm not sure if it's because of the pain or the complete fear that I'm about to die. Maybe it's the combination of both.

Catos' sword starts at me but I see it just in time to swerve out of the way, but it nicks my side and blood starts coming out.

I feel like I'm about to pass out from everything happening around me. The world starts to go black and I fall to the ground, facing the woods. The last things I see are tiny feet that are getting bigger every second.

Then I hear something, something other than the Careers laughter at my almost unconsciousness, which very well may be my death. The very last thing I hear before the world goes black is my name being screamed franticly.

Katniss!

**I hope you guys liked the heart-to-heart Gale and Rue had. I felt it was time for him to be a little more comfortable around her. Tell me if you liked it please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey hey! Double update today! This chapter is kinda short but I think you will love/hate it end of the Games btw please let me know what you think of it in a review please!**

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

The world starts slowly coming back to me. It is all white at first, then I see the greens and browns. I must be in the woods. I close my eyes because the brightness is too much for them to take.

Did I die? Are these the woods from home? Is that my heaven? I would love it to be but sadly, I come to the realization that these are the woods for the Games, and that is certainly not where I want to spend my time.

I begin to sit up and I grunt. My body is extremely sore and stiff. I feel a pair of hands pushing me back down to the ground and then one leaves my chest and goes to my cheek. I know who it is, but I don't believe that it could be.

"You're gonna be OK." The voice said. Now I know who it is. The voice is enough, but they said the exact same thing earlier, but this time it sounds like they've been crying.

I open my eyes and look at the hand on my chest and follow up the arm. When I reach the persons' face I want to cry. There is blood all over it and a large scratch across the cheek. There is a cut on the lip and one of the eyebrows. I can even see a few paths of slightly less blood that runs from the eyes to the chin. Clearly tear trails.

"What happened?" I ask. My voice sounds rough and it scratches my throat.

"You were out for two and a half days. The careers, they're- they're all gone."

"What?" I try to sit up again but the hands push me down once again. "Why can't I get up?" I ask as harsh as I can

"You've got a giant cut on your head. If you get up it'll start bleeding again. It took me almost a day to stop it and I don't want that to be messed up. You- lost a lot of blood" they say, gulping at the last part

"What about you? You have cuts everywhere!"

"I'll be fine, yours are more severe."

"That doesn't mean yours aren't bad."

"I'll be fine."

I'm clearly not going to win this. Why so stubborn? "Who's left?" I ask sheepishly

"Foxface, the boys from 7 and 8, and Thresh."

"Who's Foxface?" I ask

"Oh sorry, that's what I nicknamed her. I don't know her real name."

"Oh." When I think about it, neither do I.

"Oh no!"

"What?"

"It's bleeding again. Great!" she begins to tend to my forehead and I just lie there, staring into the sky. "I don't know if I'll be able to fix it, Gale."

"It's OK, Catnip. Like you said, I'll be OK. So will you." I need to be strong. In truth, I am terrified that I might die and someone will come kill her. But I can't let her know that.

"Attention! Attention tributes! There will be a feast tomorrow morning at the cornucopia. You all need something desperately and we are willing to be quite generous. That is all."

"Medicine!" she says excitedly

"No you can't go it's like, like bloodbath number two. I won't let you."

"I won't let you die, Gale."

"What about you? What if you start bleeding again?"

"It's practically a scab." She says, changing her gaze to the ground.

"Katniss I'd bet if a leaf fell on it it'd start bleeding again."

"I need this for you." She looks at me with eyes so large and worried and full of love that I have to force myself to look away, but I can't. Her beautiful eyes are practically boring into my soul, like when she wanted me to let Rue be in the alliance.

"Rue."

Tears come to Katniss' eyes almost as soon as I say the name. "They got her."

I move my hand on top of the one she has on me chest still. "I'm sorry."

"Just let me go, please."

"No what if someone gets you."

"Then you try to win."

"Katniss," she breaks in front of me, tears streaming down her face. Her head falls on my stomach and I rub her head, trying to bring comfort.

"I. love you. So. Much." She says between sobs "I. just. Can't. lose you." "I. Can't. Live. Without. You. I. Don't. Want. To." She stops talking and just cries.

When she finishes crying, we don't say anything and eventually, I fell asleep.

\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/

When I wake up the sun is shining bright.

I look on both sides of me, finding nothing. Oh no!

"Katniss," I say at a normal tone. Maybe she's just out hunting. I send out the whistle the best I can. I wait a minute, but don't hear anything in return. "Katniss!" I yell. I sit up, I don't feel much pain, although I am a bit sore from laying down for the past three days. I put my hand against a tree for support as I try to stand. When I do it's a bit wobbly, but I can manage.

I begin my walk to the cornucopia.

The walk is long and vigorous, but I manage. Soon enough, I can see the edges of the forest where the giant clearing for the cornucopia is. I manage to see a table that has two backpacks on it, it looks like three have been taken off since the ones on it only occupy about half of it. I can barely see it, but I see the numbers 7 and 8 on them. Those must be for the two boys from those districts. The packs with5, 11 and 12 must have been taken already.

Where is Katniss then? I wonder.

As I take a step forward though, I wish I hadn't. Thresh is fighting with Katniss and she is clearly loosing, even from this far away. He has a machete to her neck that she is trying to push away.

"Katniss!" I franticly yell, still far away. I start running, even though it ends up being a fast walk. I notice now that I am limping and I look down to my leg to see it bleeding profusely.

She turns her head to see me and then gets a worried look on her face saying that I shouldn't have some, that I need to leave now, but I don't care. She's in danger and I have to save her.

I make it to about ten yards away from her and Thresh, who is still trying to drive the knife into her throat, when Katniss starts screaming my name. I try to be faster, but am only met with more pain.

I jump on Thresh, effectively knocking him to the ground beside Katniss, and start throwing punches. I hit him in the jaw, eyes, and nose. I don't know why I can't stop. I know I haven't become like a Career, I'm not enjoying this, but I know that I wouldn't do this normally.

"Gale!" the frantic scream from Katniss brings me out of my daze. I look to where her voice came from and see her being held by the district 8 boy with a small knife to her neck. I get up and lunge at the boy, but he slides out of the way of my attack. I turn around to attack again but before I do he slits her throat. I don't know what comes over me but I run at him again, driving my knife into his chest.

_Boom!_

I go back to Katniss and my knees fall to the ground to her side. "Katniss!" I sob "No! Don't leave me, please! Don't leave!" I know tears are streaming down my face but I don't care. "Ple-ease."

Her hand moves to my cheek once more and her hand feels like ice. I move my hand on top of hers to try to warm it up. Maybe she won't die if I do. It's pointless. Her hand grows colder every second. "Don't go." I say quietly

"Gale," her voice is barely audible but I can feel the pain expressed in it "please win. For me."

"Katniss, please!" my voice is louder now even through my seemingly never-ending sobs

"Promise?"

"I- I prom- promise,"

"I- love- you." Her hand falls from my face and her eyes stare unblinking in the sky

_Boom!_

"Katniss!" I yell at the top of my lungs "Katniss!" my head fall to her dead body and more tears fall. I still hold the hand that was held to my face. I sit up and hold it to my heart, hoping stupidly that I could give her life from my own.

Her words are pounding through my head and I know that I have to obey, for her. I have to win.

I force myself to stop crying and I place a kiss on her cheek before standing. At last minute I decide to take the bow. It's a lot easier than setting up a snare and hoping someone will fall into the trap.

There are two people left I need to kill. Thresh and the boy from 7.

"What's wrong? I hear you lost your lover." A sly voice said from behind me. Sly like a fox.

Crap! I forgot about her.

I load my bow and turn around. She had a knife in one hand and the other was in a fist. I've had enough knives for a lifetime by now.

"Aw," her voice sarcastic "Your eyes are all red." It seemed like she said everything with a smile

"I could kill you now." I warn, my voice harder than I expected

"But you wouldn't do that." Her eyebrows went up as she said it

"Says who?"

"You." She said matter-of-factly

"What the hell?"

"You couldn't kill me if you tried."

"Oh really?" I released the arrow and it went flying and caught in her shoulder as she moved away

"Ahh!" she screamed in pain. She held her hand where it landed and was looking at it. I took the time to load another arrow and let it loose. She looked up just as it was about to hit.

_Boom!_

I fall to my knees again. The arrow landed right in her eye, just like whenever Katniss shot. I feel the tears threatening to start pouring again but push them back and stand up again. My legs are wobbly and I remember that I never got the backpack. Actually I don't remember the pack being there at all.

One of them took it.

I decide to go after the boy from 7 first, since I'm probably closest. I know that Thresh hides in the grain field, and I'm far away from that.

I walk for another hour before seeing smoke a few yards away. I smile. I've got him now.

No! I can't become this! I can't _enjoy_ killing! Snap out of it! But I still need to get him. I need to win this for her. I begin walking again, keeping my steady tread silent and my bow loaded.

As I near the fire, I look through the trees and see him cooking something that looks like a squirrel. My knees wobble again at the reminder of Katniss and how we used to eat squirrel all the time back home.

_"Gale don't stuff yourself!" Katniss said with a laugh_

_"Who's gonna stop me?" I stuffed a large piece of squirrel in my mouth and ate it with my mouth open_

_"Uh, maybe me?"_

_"Oh really?" I said, swallowing the squirrel_

_"Really."_

_"I dare ya."_

_She climbed on top of me and pinned me down on the floor of the cabin in the woods. She took the rest of the squirrel that was in my hands._

_She climbed off and took her seat again. "We have to save some for our families." She said grimly_

_I hadn't been thinking of them for once, but when she reminded me, I felt a little bad about it._

_"We got a lot you know." I defend_

_"What if we don't get lucky next time." Her gaze was on the floor instead of me_

_"Then I guess we'll have to try harder." I tell her, stealing back the squirrel, trying to keep a light and happy mood_

_"Ga-ale!" she laughed_

"Katniss." I whisper, then immediately shut myself up, I don't want him hearing me.

I aim my bow at his heart and let it go. He falls to the ground

_Boom!_

I look around his camp in search of my bag, but come up empty. I do take some of the food he was cooking and move on, this time towards the grain field.

When I get close, it seems too quiet. I look around me franticly but he is nowhere in sight. I continue going in the tall grasses.

Suddenly, it starts pouring rain and sinks through my clothes within seconds.

I am pushed to the ground. I turn over to see Thresh above me, knife to my throat. I remember him earlier today in this same position with Katniss. That was the reason she's dead! He's the reason he's dead!

His eyes go wide and I figure I seemed like I was about to explode with anger. I feel like I will too.

I manage to squirm one of my legs out from under his and kick him in his soft spot.

He falls over holding where I kicked and groaning in pain. I load my bow and shoot at his chest.

_Boom!_

This is it. I won. I won for Katniss.

I move away from the body towards the cornucopia to await the hovercraft to take me away. Soon enough I see a hovercraft behind me picking up Threshs' dead body.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I am proud to announce the winner of the 74th annual Hunger Games!" Claudius Templesmith shouted through the arena.

A hovercraft appears above me with a ladder. I hold on to it and are frozen in place is it pulls me up.

"Good job kid." Haymitch said as I was released off the ladder

**End of the Games, I didn't keep the same ending as the book (clearly) and I'm sure some of you absolutely hate me for killing her off but I think it is necessary for the rest of the story. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by tomorrow or the next day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Can I call this a triple update? I don't know. Well either way I'm happy of all of you reading and reviewing I love you all for that and I hope you love my story. PS. This chapter may make you very sad. I know I almost cryied when I was writing it :'(**

**All characters belong to Suzanne Collins**

I open my eyes to see a white room filled with different tubes and my guess at what is medical stuff. I never saw anything this fancy when I was with Katniss' mother.

My heart drops. Katniss is dead. She's never coming back. She's never going to smile, laugh, or hunt with me ever again. I won't be able to see her beautiful face except on recaps of the Games.

Thinking of that makes me feel worse. I don't want to watch it. I lived it once and I don't want to live it again.

What am I thinking? That was the first year there were star-crossed-lovers in the arena. It's going to be shown every year.

I try to sit up but notice that there is a strap keeping me down.

I can't get up. Something is holding me down. My hands rushes to my head to feel if there is still cut there, there isn't.

Everything reminds me of her. I'm never going to get her out of my head.

An attendant comes in through the wall with a platter of food which he lays on my lap and leaves. There isn't much there, just a sandwich and a glass of orange juice.

I eat the small meal hungrily, considering that I haven't eaten a real meal in weeks because of the Games. When I finish I feel something running through my body and the world starts to fade to black. Before I am knocked out however, I see a pair a feet running towards me.

I wake up in the same room, and the strap is still keeping me in place. I take time to look around the room and my eyes somehow find my bad leg. Miraculously, there is hardly any mark there at all, in fact, if you were to just look at me, you wouldn't be able to tell it was even there.

Another attendant comes in with a glass of water. I drink it, and hand it back to them. Within a minute I fall asleep.

When I wake this time, I find that the strap is no longer holding me down. In fact, I can get up and out of this blinding white room. I walk around where the attendant walked through and after a minute of trying, the wall opens, revealing a hallway full of walls. They are all sure to open like mine, but I don't try. I know I will find nothing I want. All I want is Katniss and she's gone forever.

I look down the hallway and find a group of people that I recognize as Haymitch, Effie, Portia, and my prep team. Cinna is there too but I can't bring myself to look at him. I feel guilty that she died in my hands and for some reason he reminds me of her.

"You did splendid out there!" Effie said in an overly-excited tone. I hated it. I hate that she watches children get killed and enjoys it. Portia and my prep team nod their heads in agreement with Effie but everyone else stays silent.

Good, everyone else is sane.

"Let's get you back to your room, darling, interviews are in a couple hours and we must get you ready." Portia exclaimed I follow her grudgingly on the elevator and into my room. She tells me to shower and I comply. When I get out the prep team swarms around me fixing me up anyway they can. They tell me that they are so proud and they were always at the edge of their seats the entire time. I block them out, not wanting to know how watching it was like.

When they finish, Portia has me change into a red and orange suit. I burst into tears remembering Katniss' dress at the interviews, how she looked so beautiful and glowing.

"No!" Portia squealed "No crying! We don't need you having red eyes at the interviews do we?" she quickly pats my tears away with a soft fabric and then puts some kind of liquid in my eyes. She finishes getting me ready for the cameras and takes me to the ground level of the training center. We go to where the interviews were before and I want to cry again, remembering the kiss Katniss gave me after realizing what I said was true, but force myself to stop so I won't disappoint anyone.

Haymitch comes up beside me "Alright kid, their gonna have the prep team and stylist come out first, then Effie, then me. After that you come out. I want you to do your best." He says, turning towards me as the conversation becomes more personal than factual, "Try not to cry too much, I know you have been and I know it'll be hard, but I want you to try." He takes a deep breath "Their gonna show her death," I feel my breath catch in my throat "They'll show them all actually, but I wanted to warn you about her. They'll most likely show the entire scene at the cornucopia so be ready." I nod slowly "Remember, don't cry."

Haymitch has become like a father to me right now than anyone other than my father has ever. Everything happening right now wants me to burst out in tears, but I do my best to stop them as my prep team enters the stage and the audience cheers. The audience sheers louder for Portia and for Effie. Haymitch leaves and I am left alone.

Ceaser calls for me to enter and, reluctantly, I do. I plaster on a fake smile and wave to the crowd. I take the seat next to Ceaser and he begins.

He starts off with how I've been and other casual things like so, then moves on to deeper questions.

"So, Gale, how are you coping with Katniss' death?"

I think I actually stop breathing for a moment at the question, but I close my eyes and answer anyway. "It's been, really hard."

"Do you think about it a lot?"

Do I think about it a lot? Is he a dumbass or something? Of course I think about it! She was the love of my life and I had to watch her take her last breath in my arms. "All the time." Is all I say. I don't trust myself to say more or I feel like I might just slap him

"I see," he says sorrowfully. He pauses a moment "Well let's get on to the video." He says with a smile

The video starts and they show the interviews with our family, the ones we killed and how we killed them, this is the only time I notice that Katniss didn't kill anyone. Until the video showed her fighting the Careers. I don't realize that I have sat forward in my seat. I need to know how she killed them all and came out alive.

It starts with Cato finding me and Rue. We run, and the cameras follow Rue. When he catches up with her, he stabs her right in the stomach. She never stood a chance. The canon sound and the cameras immediately skips to where Cato found me. We are running and I turn around the tree, and then I get cornered. It's like living the hell all over again. I fall down and the camera shows Katniss running up to them, bow loaded. She shoots and it hits the District 1 girl. She shoots another, still a distance away, and it hits the girl from 4. She stops running and aims her bow at the boy from 1. He dodges it and begins to run towards her. She shoots again and it hits his arm. He falls to the ground in pain. Katniss aims her arrow at Cato, but he lunges at her. He has his spear in hand, holding it to her face. He has her pinned to the ground and she can't move.

"You think you can just kill Clove and everyone else and get out of it that easily? Ha! I don't think so." he says through gritted teeth.

"I. didn't. kill. Clove!"

"Well then, more of a reason to kill lover boy over there when I'm done with you."

"Don't touch him!" her voice is high, higher than it's ever been and I couldn't tell it was even her.

"Doesn't matter, he'll still die anyway. You know why?"

"He's going home." She says harshly

"Oh no," he says in a laugh "I'm going home. And you, are going to die." He pushed his spear down but she moved her face out of the way enough so that it scraped her cheek. That's where she got the scar. He pushed his head down near hers and whispered something inaudible from the microphones. Whatever it was angered Katniss because she rammed her head against his and he fell off her. She crawled towards me and picked up my head, which Cato had previously slashed with his spear. She tried to pick me up, but failed since I was so heavy. She switched to dragging, which she was able to do. She ran as fast as she could with my weight behind her. She runs about half a mile before stopping and leaning me against a tree. She turns around quickly to meet Cato not too far away. She runs towards him, clearly trying to keep him away from my unconscious body.

"Stay the hell away from him, Cato!"

"Make me." He threatened, rushing past her. She ran up to him up jumped on his back, causing him to fall forward. His spear embedded itself in my leg and it didn't help that Cato kept falling forward, causing it to go further up my leg. How I didn't wake up from that I don't know. She quickly finds a rock and smashes it against his head. It leaves an indent and you can tell that she used force that I never even knew she had. She pushes him away from me about 20 yards, then comes running back to me.

I start to wonder if they are showing me everything that happened while I was out on purpose, or if it was just the most interesting thing that happened so far.

She reaches me and starts sobbing. "It's all my fault." She cries "I'm so sorry." She calms herself down enough to tear off a piece of her pants, although she is still sniffling, and places it gently on my forehead. She rips off another piece and begins soaking up the blood from my leg. It shows her crying over the days, begging me to wake up, tending to the cuts, and apologizing for things that really weren't her fault. It quickly gets to the day where I woke up. It shows her crying even more because she didn't want to lose me, but skips that part as well. I seriously think they are trying to skip right to her death without making it too obvious. Well that doesn't work for me. I see what they are doing clearly.

While I was asleep, she grabbed her bow and headed for the cornucopia. She waited there and was about to go when Foxface ran out of the cornucopia itself and grabbed her pack and ran. Katniss went in after that but then Thresh came out and tackled her. Only a few seconds after that did I show up. It showed me tackling him, then switched to Katniss, who was working on getting up off the ground. The District 8 boy came up behind her and put the knife at her neck. That's when she screamed my name and I turned around. I lunged at him and he moved away, holding Katniss tighter. They show the next part in slow motion, which angers me to no end. He slices her throat and you can see the blood fly through the air as she falls. It shows me stabbing him and then kneeling next to Katniss. They move back to normal speed.

"Gale, please win. For me." She says. The pain in her voice sounds as real to me now as it did then but worse because I know that she is about to die in my arms.

"Katniss please!" I plead

"Promise?" her voice seems even low and soft now

"I- I prom-promise." I studder

"I love you" her hand falls from my face and I drop into her stomach sobbing.

"Katniss! Katniss!"

The video skips to when I am about to shoot the boy, but it shows when my eyes are closed, thinking about the memory. "Katniss." I whisper I shake my head and shoot the boy. It skips to the fight between me and Thresh. He is on top of me and the camera has a good shot of my eyes. You can practically see the fire growing behind them, and I know why Thresh was scared. I kick him and then I shoot. The cameras shut off and focus back on Ceaser and me.

"I've been wondering, Gale, what were you thinking of when you were about to kill Damiun?"

"Who?"

"The boy who started the fire."

"Oh, that, I um," don't want to tell them what I thought of. That's something private between me and her and I don't care that she's dead. "I was remembering something."

"What?" his questions were starting to piss me off

"A time me and Katniss had together. Something the boy, Damiun, did reminded me of it."

"I see. What was the memory?" I want to smack him so much right now! This is private, not public.

"We were together and we had just- bought a lot of meat from the butcher and we were really happy. The way she smiled and joked I, I just loved her- it, so much."

"Oh. Well I think this goes for all of Panem when I say we wish you feel better about what has happened and you loss. I present to you, Gale Hawthorn, victor from District twelve!"

The cameras went off and I was rushed backstage by Haymitch, who sits me in a chair and gives me a piece of fabric similar to the one Portia used to wipe away my tears earlier. I take it and start sobbing again.

"You did great out there, kid." He told me, it didn't help with anything though like I'm sure it was meant to.

"I didn't want him to know that."

"I know, I know. It's rough but it gets better."

"It won't get better, Haymitch!" I shout. I know he doesn't deserve it but I can't control it.

"Yes it will,"

"No!" I interrupt "No, everything reminds me of her! If someone eating squirrel reminds me of her how am I going to live in twelve? I won't be able to go in the woods anymore because they remind me of her. I can't see her family without feeling guilty I just know! I- I'll feel guilty about not bringing her home. They wanted me to bring her home, Haymitch and I didn't. I promised myself I would bring her home and I didn't! I'm not going to get over this." My sobbing grows more uncontrollable so I just stop talking.

Haymitch put one arm around my shoulder and the other hand on my other shoulder." I'm sorry, kid." He says "I really am."

\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/

The train ride was excruciating. I couldn't stop thinking about how Prim is going to hate me along with her mother. All the things they would say to me. Eventually I drift off to sleep. My dreams are filled with memories of Katniss.

"Gale, come on." She said in a playful tone

"Slow down!" I yell after her

"Hurry up!"

"Where are we even going?"

"Someplace special."

She runs into a clearing and I quickly follow suit. I don't find her in sight so I start looking around. I see a little cabin that looks like it only has one room. She must have gone in there.

I open the door and peek inside

"Ga-ale." She chimes

I enter further in the room in search of her.

Suddenly a piercing shriek fills the air. I cover my ears with my fingers to block out some of the noise, but it doesn't help at all.

I turn around to see Katniss standing in the closed doorway. But it's not the Katniss I came here with. Her face is covered in blood and her clothes are completely tattered. Her hair is in a tangled mess and she is staring at me through eyes like the devil. It's as if she feels nothing but hatred for me. Definitely not the girl I came here with.

"You didn't save me, Gale. Why didn't you save me? You let me die, Gale! You. Let. Me. Die!" she came running at me and a knife suddenly appeared in her hands.

"No!" I jolted awake and found myself covered in sweat. "It's just a nightmare Gale," I tell myself, my head in my hands "She doesn't hate you. She doesn't want to kill you. Calm down Gale, calm down."

I get a shower to take my mind off things and to clean up. The sun was starting to peek in through the windows so I know we will be arriving home soon enough.

I got dressed and headed out to the dining car. No one was there which I wasn't surprised at since it was barely 6:00. I get a plate but don't end up eating anything. My mind is plagued by the nightmare I had.

Effie comes in the car followed by a, not surprisingly, drunk Haymitch "We'll be arriving in twelve in half an hour, so when you're done with your plate go change." She said

I get up immediately and head for my room. "Gale, I said when you were done!" Effie called after me

"I am done." I respond coldly

I head to my room and change into nicer clothes. I come out twenty minutes later so we are still ten away from home.

"What was that about?" Haymitch asked. It seemed like he hadn't moved from his seat since I've been gone.

"Couldn't eat." I tell him

"Nightmare?" he asks. I shake my head "Sorry."

"Whatever." I say

"You know if you think about it, would you really want Katniss dealing with this right now?"

My eyes close immediately, trying to block the thought from entering my head, but it does anyway. What if Katniss did live and I died? How would she even cope? I push the thought away as I see the mountains of twelve.

I sit there in silence for another 8 minutes until Effie comes through the door, saying that we're here and we need to be ready as soon as the doors open. I get out of the seat and head for the door. I am the last to go out again but when I do, loud cheers break through the crowd. I avoid looking at Katniss' family the best I can while I fake a smile and wave. All I want to do is go back to my home and stay there with my family. But of course I can't do that.

I am driven to my new house in Victors Village. It is across from Haymitchs' and it's pretty big. I could most likely fit 10 of my homes in here. I will always call my house in the Seam my home. This will never be my home. I don't care what the Capitol thinks I should or shouldn't do.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok I'm really sorry for those of you who were waiting for the sequel to this story. Unfortunately after I started writing it I lost the file then for awhile I just kept forgetting to start it again. Along with that I've had a lot going on in life that's unavoidable and I'm afraid I'm not going to be posting it I'm deeply sorry for those of you who were waiting for it and I'm sorry that I've decided to stop. **

**Thank you for all the reviews and those who are following this story and even for just reading. I might not have said it much but I really appreciate it and they really made my day whenever I saw them.**

**Thank you and again I'm very, very sorry.**


End file.
